For the first time ever, the America’s Cup sailing race is holding qualifiers that will lead up to the championship’s return to U.S. waters in 2013. The America’s Cup World Series has been traveling the globe since August of this year, kicking off the circuit in Cascais, Portugal before hitting the chilly waters of Plymouth, United Kingdom, and now sails into San Diego.

The America’s Cup World Series San Diego takes place November 12-20, 2011, and will features both fleet and match races between the world's best sailors aboard the world's fastest sailing vessels. The AC45 wing-sailed catamarans that are used in the regatta will be making their first racing appearances in the United States for this event, bringing cutting-edge technology to the hunt for the world’s oldest trophy, the America’s Cup. Throughout the 160-year history of the race, only four nations around the world have been able to raise the cup in victory.

Races will begin and end just off the Navy and Broadway piers, providing spectator access all along the harbor, allowing race fans to get closer to the action than ever before. The two weeks of action will be complemented by a lineup of nighttime events, concerts, and Fan Zone experiences for all ages.

The San Diego Yacht Club won the America’s Cup in 1987, and it wasn’t until the most recent regatta that the trophy was returned to American hands with a victory by the BMW Oracle Racing Team out of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club. Anticipation is high across the sailing world for the United State’s upcoming defense of the cup in 2013, and the excitement is sure to be at an all-time high when the wings go up in San Diego.

For more information about the races, viewing areas, and associated events, visit AmericasCup.com, and be sure to start making plans to visit the Bay in 2013 to cheer on your favorite crew.