December 27 -Team Origin, the British America's Cup team headed by London 2012 deputy chairman Sir Keith Mills, has announced their intention of securing a venue in the UK to host a Louis Vuitton Trophy event as early as August or September next year or during the 2011 season.


The overall objective is to bring America's Cup type racing to British shores as soon as possible.
 
During 2009 Team Origin competed in two successful Louis Vuitton Trophy events, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland in February and the first Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta, in Nice in November.
 
During 2010 the World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) will organise a further four or five Louis Vuitton Trophy events in venues such as New Zealand , Italy , the Middle East and Hong Kong .

Sir Keith is determined to bring one of the events to the UK.
 
He said: "I set up Team Origin with the clear ambition of ultimately winning the America's Cup and bringing it back to the UK from where it all began.

"I know we have some fantastic sailing venues here in Great Britain and as part of Team Origin's build-up to the next America's Cup it would be really positive to see Cup teams racing in British waters as early as 2010.

"To that end we are looking for serious expressions of interest from British coastal venues by the end of January 2010.

"Following that we will explore further the criteria required, through a relatively brief event venue tender process, to mobilise the necessary facilities, infrastructure and funding required to bring a sailing competition of the highest calibre, along with its economic benefits, to a venue on our shores."
 
Team Origin and the WTSA have already compiled a detailed event venue specification document for any venue that might be interested in exploring this opportunity and is seeking expressions of interest by the end of next month.