SailGP: The AP's Bernie Wilson confirms "Larry's League" in 2019 with foiling F50

SAN FRANCISCO (#1109) – Ellison, the software tycoon who co-founded Oracle Corp., and Coutts, a New Zealander, headed the Oracle Team USA syndicate that won the America’s Cup in 2010 and 2013 before losing it to Emirates Team New Zealand in 2017. They have been working for several months on the concept of an annual league that will keep alive their vision of competing in fast, cutting-edge catamarans. Plans call for SailGP to have five regattas in 2019, beginning in mid-February in Sydney, Australia. The other regattas are expected to be held in San Francisco, New York, Great Britain and France. Reports have indicated there will be teams from the United States, Great Britain and Australia, and entries are also expected from France, Japan and China. While SailGP isn’t intended to compete directly with the America’s Cup, it will launch two years before the next America’s Cup, which is scheduled for 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand. –Excerpt from an AP wire story just out by the esteemed Bernie Wilson (USA, San Diego) who has been covering the sport since the early 90s. Full story.

Over a year ago Sailing Illustrated broke the news of Larry's League as a "one hears" on our Tuesdays with TFE live webcast, and detailed it in an article on SI October 19, 2017 after our longtime journalist and publicist friend Rob Mundle (AUS) wrote on his personal blog that he was hearing similar rumors. On this week's Tuesdays with TFE we laid out more details, as we did on our TGIF with TFE live webcast earlier today.

A slide from today's TGIF with TFE live webcast detailing "Larry's League" to be called SailGP that will be formally announced next Wednesday, October 3 in London, and was the subject of an AP wire story this afternoon written by Bernie Wilson. Click here to watch our segment on SailGP from today's webcast.