Sweden's Artemis Racing announces AC challenge

While his bosses were in Stockholm announcing Artemis Racing's challenge for the 2013 America's Cup, Terry Hutchinson was in Miami getting used to the new realities of sailing's marquee regatta.

There's a lot to learn because the America's Cup is rebooting, switching from sloops to fast, 72-foot catamarans with wing sails.

"This will be quite a unique America's Cup, and quite the challenge," Hutchinson, Artemis Racing's helmsman, said by phone Monday, the third day of a training program for the crew aboard 40-foot catamarans.

Hutchinson, of Annapolis, Md., is one of two Americans in key positions with Sweden's Artemis Racing. The syndicate's CEO is Paul Cayard, who lives near San Francisco and is a veteran of the America's Cup, Olympics and round-the-world racing.

As part of a new format, the America's Cup World Series will be sailed beginning next year in 45-foot catamarans while the 72-footers are being built.

"The beauty of the America's Cup is not only the technological transition that's going to happen, but also a different format that's going to happen," Hutchinson said. "It's an environment we'll thrive in. These 72-footers will push teams to the limit. To have an understanding of where that limit is is going to be critical, or inevitably, people will get hurt."

Hutchinson made it to the America's Cup match in 2007 as tactician with Team New Zealand, which lost 5-2 to Alinghi of Switzerland. After that regatta, he was among hundreds of sailors forced to the sidelines as BMW Oracle Racing of San Francisco and Alinghi waged a bitter court fight over rules for the 33rd America's Cup. BMW Oracle Racing swept Alinghi in two races off Valencia, Spain, in February in giant multihulls.

Switching to catamarans in an effort to modernize the competition was a decision made by BMW Oracle Racing, which is owned by software tycoon Larry Ellison and run by four-time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts, along with Italy's Mascalzone Latino, the Challenger of Record.

"It's great that there's clarity in the America's Cup," Hutchinson said. "I think that it's great that we have leaders in our sport that are willing to take a chance and are willing to try to take their sport to a new level. Who knows how it will play out, but I don't think anybody who's a sailor would criticize Russell and Larry at this point for doing what they think is good for the sport reaching the next level."

Hutchinson also sailed with Cayard's AmericaOne in the 1999-2000 America's Cup, and with Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes in 2002-03.

Cayard, whose wife is Swedish, has a long history with the America's Cup.

"My life has been about sailing and it's been about big challenges," Cayard said at a news conference at the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. "They produce the best memories for me, and that's the wealth in my life. I'm a lucky man to be offered what is for sure a big responsibility and a very complicated job. But it's one I love and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Cayard isn't sure if he'll be part of the crew.

"My job is first and foremost to oversee the campaign and make sure it stays on track," he said. "If, after that, I have some time left over to sail, we'll see."

Besides Mascalzone Latino, Artemis Racing is the second foreign syndicate to announce its challenge. A third group has filed an application with organizers but its identity hasn't been revealed.

BMW Oracle Racing is expected to announce the venue for the 34th America's Cup by the end of the year. It is considering bids from San Francisco, Valencia and Italy.