Hamilton Harbour could host America’s Cup World Series racing next year, Dr Grant Gibbons, the Minister for Economic Development, confirmed yesterday.

But whether or not the one-design AC45 wingsail catamarans, which have foiling capabilities like their larger cousin the AC72, will actually race in Hamilton Harbour rests solely in the hands of the America’s Cup Event Authority, which will make the final decision.

“Hamilton Harbour cannot necessarily be ruled out,” said Dr Gibbons, who is spearheading Bermuda’s 2017 America’s Cup bid. “But that’s going to be their [ACEA’s] call.”

As it stands, America’s Cup World Series racing is scheduled to take place in the Great Sound from October 16 to 18 next year. The team bases and public race village will be on Hamilton’s waterfront.

“We are still a year away but the expectation at this stage is they may use part of the container docks, which still needs to be worked out with the Corporation of Hamilton,” the Minister said. “It will probably stretch from some of the container docks down towards the east end of the docks and then going all the way along the waterfront.

“You’ve got team bases obviously, then you have all the other functions related to the event itself — and how they allocate the different functions still needs to be worked out.”

The America’s Cup World Series is the first stage of competition in the 35th America’s Cup and begins in the summer of 2015. Featuring all of the America’s Cup teams racing in one-design AC45 wingsail catamarans, the circuit is an early opportunity to put points on the board that carry forward into the next stage of the competition. Overall ranking position in the America’s Cup World Series determines the starting scores of the teams in the America’s Cup Qualifiers in 2017.

Bermuda and San Diego are the remaining candidates to host the America’s Cup match in 2017 after bids submitted by Newport, Rhode Island, San Francisco and Chicago fell by the wayside.

During the Throne Speech on November 7, it was revealed that an America’s Cup Act will soon be tabled before Parliament.

The legislation is a requirement for next year’s America’s Cup World Series event and should Bermuda get the nod to host the main event in 2017.

The America’s Cup Event Authority, headed up by director Russell Coutts, the most decorated skipper in local King Edward VII Gold Cup history, has until the end of the year to announce the final venue.

Oracle Team USA are the holders of the coveted Auld Mug, the oldest trophy in international sport, having successfully defended their title against Emirates Team New Zealand in San Francisco last year.

There are six teams lined up to compete in the America’s Cup — Oracle, Artemis Racing, Ben Ainslie Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Challenge and Team France.

However, Oracle skipper James Spithill expects that number to swell with late additions.

“There’s an allowance for late entries and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of other teams come in before the end of the year,” the 2005 Gold Cup winner said recently. “I can’t say who they are, but one of them will be pretty exciting for the whole event.”