Bermuda’s time zone could play a major factor in deciding which country gets the green light to host the 37th America’s Cup in 2017.

Bermuda remains thick in contention to host the match racing sailing spectacle along with Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego.

Oracle Team USA are the cup-holders, having produced an amazing comeback at the previous America’s Cup held in San Francisco Bay last year.

The American defender overcame an 8-1 deficit to retain the America’s Cup trophy with victory over challenger Emirates Team Zealand, who were left stranded on match point.

Oracle Team USA defended the America’s Cup by a score of 9 to 8, winning the last eight races to come from behind to once again win the oldest trophy in international sport.

Among Oracle Team USA’s crew was English sailor Ben Ainslie, a two-times King Edward VII Gold Cup winner and the most decorated sailor in Olympic history, who was credited for the team’s dramatic America’s Cup comeback from the jaws of defeat.

Ainslie, who was knighted after capturing a fourth gold medal in as many Olympic appearances at the 2012 London Olympics, was drafted into the team as a late replacement for tactician John Kostecki.

The 34th America’s Cup was the longest ever by both number of days and races, and the first since the 25th America’s Cup to feature a winner-takes-all final race.

The last America’s Cup took the sport of sailing to dizzying heights, with spectators captivated by high speeds generated by the AC-72 catamaran that have Hydrofoiling capability.

Russell Coutts, the most decorated skipper in King Edward VII Gold Cup history and chief executive of Oracle Team USA, said that the remaining countries bidding to host the next America’s Cup are highly motivated to host one of sailing’s biggest events.

Coutts, a New Zealander who won the King Edward VII Gold Cup seven times between 1990 and 2004, said that there are a number of factors under consideration, including public interest in sailing at each of the venues, the potential for sponsorship and other commercial activities.

Along with these factors, the time zone is also a consideration, it is understood.

The West Coast of the United States is around eight hours behind most of Europe, where many of the teams, sponsors and fans are based.

Being further east, Chicago, and particularly Bermuda, have an advantage and may be able to offer more attractive racing times for European TV viewers.

A final decision is due by the end of the year.

Among the countries failing to make the shortlist were Newport, Rhode Island, which hosted twelve America’s Cups between 1934 and 1983, and Hawaii, both of which were considered for the finals venue.

Coutts also dismissed a local media report claiming San Francisco, San Diego and Bermuda as the remaining countries on the shortlist bidding to host the next America’s Cup.

Should Bermuda’s bid prove successful, the event could pump millions of dollars into the local economy and create thousands of jobs.

A team headed by Economic Development Minister Grant Gibbons submitted the bid to hold the event after being approached by organising body, the America’s Cup Event Authority, earlier this year.