Venice, Italy will host the America’s Cup World Series in May of 2012 and April of 2013. Venice’s location is ideal for spectators watching racers compete offshore. The Arsenale di Venezia, which dates back to the 12th century, will be the location for the bases for the racing teams. Describing the suitability of Venice for sail racing, mayor Giorgio Orsoni called his city “a cradle of sailing… inseparable from the sea.”

Teams will sail AC45 wing-sailed catamarans as they have in other America’s Cup World Series races in Portugal and the U.K. this year. The main event for the 34th America’s Cup will take place in Summer/Fall 2013 in San Francisco Bay. Read more about all the America’s Cup events on the Americas Cup website.

You can also see a replay of Race Day 7 in Cascais in this YouTube video.

Oracle Racing unveiled a new class of racing catamarans in San Francisco Bay this week in preparation for the 2013 America’s Cup.  The high tech design was engineered in Auckland for Oracle Racing of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, defender of the America’s Cup.

No one expected the AC45 Oracle Racing Yacht to flip, but that’s exactly what happened in rough conditions that included high winds.  One member of the crew suffered minor injuries and was briefly hospitalized.  Check out the capsize in this YouTube video.

There are many reasons for choosing a sailing catamaran over a monohull.   Red Gibbons identifies these Top 6 Advantages of a Sail-Cruising Catamaran: