While it’s still more than 3 years away, work is already underway for the next Americas Cup Event. With new rules released this week, the 2017 event is set to be beyond expectations yet again after making a dramatic comeback last year.

First, to answer the question on everyones minds, yes. The flying boats are staying. Abeit 10ft shorter than the last boats (which were called AC72’s), the new AC62’s are still 62ft hydrofoiling catamarans. Rumored to be on the cards this time round is the ability to tack without slowing down. And if there’s no penalty for tacking, then it will completely transform the style of sailing.

To make the boats safer, the sails will be required to be capable of over rotating to a negative angle of attack. For the layperson, this means that the bottom half (or three quarters or whatever) of the sail is acting normally, trying to tip the catamarans over. The top section however, is working the other way, helping to right the catamaran! Doing so will cause drag, but make the boats far safer to sail.

But what is most exciting news? Australia is back in the running. With the guys in charge of Hamilton Island Yacht Club funding the project (which will be in the many millions of dollars) Australia is in for a real chance in 2017. When you consider the new ruling that 25% of the crew of each boat must be from that country, it will stop the Americans and other nationalities poaching our best sailors too!

Highlights of the new Americas Cup Racing Protocol:

* A three year racing program from 2015 to 2017 with every race counting towards qualification and/or points in the final America’s Cup Match

* At least six America’s Cup World Series events per year in 2015 and 2016 to be raced in the AC45 class. All teams have an opportunity to host an event in their home country

* An America’s Cup Qualifiers series in 2017 involving all teams, with a bonus point in the America’s Cup Match at stake

* America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs for the top four challenger teams to emerge from the Qualifiers

* The America’s Cup Match, featuring the defender, ORACLE TEAM USA against the top challenger. The first team to win 7 points will win the America’s Cup

* Up to two Youth America’s Cup events providing a pathway for young sailors to join the top rank of professionals

* The new AC62 yacht – a foiling, wing sail catamaran sailed by 8 crew – to be raced in all events in 2017

* A crew nationality rule requiring at least 25% of the AC62 crew to be nationals of the country of their challenge

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