Cork, Ireland is talking up its America’s Cup hosting candidacy, saying it’s “a step closer” to holding yachting’s premier event. The 37th edition of the America’s Cup has gone to an international bidding process after defenders Team New Zealand and the New Zealand government and Auckland City failed to agree to terms for the next regatta.

Cork, the second largest city in Ireland boasting one of the world’s largest natural harbours, emerged as a surprise candidate and now believes it is right in the running. A fresh report by Afloat.ie, the Irish sailing and boating magazine’s website, claims assessments by an America’s Cup technical team that visited the city in June, have judged Cork as a “strong possibility”.

Afloat reported Cork was “down to the last two cities” on a shortlist of alternatives and in a “leading position”' after an “exceedingly positive” initial assessment. That would back up similar claims made last week by the respected New Zealand edition of Sail-World, that reported the Cup’s venue bidding process was expected to be “cut to a short list of two or three in the next week, with Cork, Ireland and Valencia, Spain believed to be amongst the favoured contenders”.

The Cork Dockyard includes a “ready-made’ 18-hectare site for an America’s Cup village that includes deep water berths. Ireland have had eight America’s Cup challenges, though the last of those was by Shamrock V way back in 1930. - Read on

With thanks to Scuttlebutt