OK, the America’s Cup itself isn’t coming home, not yet at least, but British America’s Cup hopeful TeamOrigin believes the Louis Vuitton Trophy, the Cup’s nearest sane relative, would be very welcome to stop by in 2010 or 2011 and possibly annually thereafter.

During 2009 TeamOrigin competed in two really successful Louis Vuitton Trophy events – the first being the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series that was held in Auckland in February 2009 and, more recently, the first Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta, in Nice in November 2009.

During 2010 the World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) will organise a further four or five Louis Vuitton Trophy events in venues such as New Zealand, Italy, the Middle East and Hong Kong. TeamOrigin’s Principal Sir Keith Mills strongly believes that one of these events should and could be hosted in the UK during either 2010 or 2011. 



‘I set up TeamOrigin with the clear ambition of ultimately winning the America’s Cup and bringing it back to the UK from where it all began,’ said Sir Keith. ‘I know we have some fantastic sailing venues here in Great Britain and as part of TeamOrigin’s build-up to the next America’s Cup it would be really positive to see Cup teams racing in British waters as early as 2010.

‘To that end we are looking for serious expressions of interest from British coastal venues by the end of January 2010. Following that we will explore further the criteria required, through a relatively brief event venue tender process, to mobilise the necessary facilities, infrastructure and funding required to bring a sailing competition of the highest calibre, along with its economic benefits, to a venue on our shores.’

TEAMORIGIN and the WTSA have already compiled a detailed event venue specification document for any venue that might be interested in exploring this opportunity. Serious expressions of interest should be sent to marcushutchinson@teamorigin.com or posted to TEAMORIGIN/UK Venues, 78 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES, UK by the end of January 2010, following which the event venue specification will be transferred and a detailed proposal can be prepared.