Multihull racing could be introduced to the King Edward VII Gold Cup as early as next year.

Organisers are exploring the possibility of replacing the International One Design sloop with the high-performance M32 catamaran after plans were announced to use the carbon fibre, multihull racing yacht at future World Match Racing Tour events.

“We tried to get the M32 here this year, but it was just too big a task for us,” Peter Shrubb, the rear commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, who is in charge of international sailing events, said.

“But we are hoping that maybe we will be able to get it organised for next year.

“There is a lot of logistics that have to be sorted out getting the M32s here.

“The ‘Deed of Gift’ for the Gold Cup talks about a keeled boat.

“We have to address that because the catamarans have two hulls, so they have two keels. We have to make sure the ‘Deed of Gift’ for the Gold Cup is OK with changing to catamarans.”

Sweden’s Aston Harald, which owns and manages the M32 Series in the United States and Europe, took control of the World Match Racing Tour last week.

The acquisition is a major step forward for the ISAF-sanctioned World Match Racing Tour, as Aston Harald also announced plans to construct a series of identical M32 catamarans to be based in the US, Europe and Asia and used at future World Match Racing Tour events.

“Conquering the World Match Racing Tour has proved one of the sport’s toughest challenges,” Hakan Svensson, the CEO and owner of Aston Harald, said.

“With the rapid innovation of top-level sailboat racing and the growing popularity in multihull racing, we’re now in a position to help talented young sailors work towards a career at the highest level of the sport through the M32 Series and now the World Match Racing Tour.”

The M32 is a one-design catamaran sailed by a crew of four or five. The racing catamaran does not require a jib and its asymmetrical foils create the perfect amount of lift and stability, which enable the hulls to skim the surface.

“They are not foiling boats but they are still exciting high-speed catamarans,” Shrubb said.

“The M32 catamaran is a nice high-performance boat and I think the America’s Cup guys would appreciate sailing in them.”

The M32 Series was formed to create a professional sailing series on a regional level.

Taylor Canfield, a former Gold Cup winner and World Match Racing Tour champion, is competing in this year’s M32 Series in Scandinavia as the helmsman of US One Sailing Team.