The competitions are due to take place at the Fiera di Genova and will be organised by World Sailing in collaboration with the Federazione Italian Vela and Yacht Club Italiano.

The 2019 series is due to start at Tokyo 2020 Olympic venue Enoshima this September before heading to Miami in the United States in January.

Genoa will then present the sailors the final opportunity to qualify for the World Cup Finals, which will be held in Marseille in France, venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic sailing competition.

The same three cities will host in the same order for the 2020 series, however, instead of heading to Marseille for the World Cup Final, the sailors will travel back to Enoshima.

The 2020 World Cup Final will be swiftly followed by the Tokyo 2020 sailing event.

"Genoa is a perfect fit for a World Cup venue," World Sailing President Kim Andersen said.

"Excellent springtime sailing conditions and a world-class venue in a beautiful touristic city will ensure the competition lives long in the memory of the competitors, visitors, and an engaged local community. 

"This is the first time Italy has hosted a World Cup Series event and we are delighted to be working with the Federazione Italiana Vela and Yacht Club Italiano to ensure the event is a success."

Riccardo Simoneschi, sport director at the Yacht Club Italiano added: "I am delighted that World Sailing has selected to host a World Cup Series event at the Yacht Club in Genoa, my hometown.

"We are excited to about hosting some of the world’s finest competitors on our home waters, where Italian Olympic sailing has thrived in the recent past."

World Sailing say the World Cup Series is designed to showcase and develop Olympic sailing.

More than 2,000 competitors from 75 nations have competed in the competition since its inception in 2008.