Emirates Team New Zealand’s involvement in the next instalment of the America’s Cup remains in doubt after it was confirmed yesterday that all racing in 2017 will be held in Bermuda.

This means the America’s Cup Qualifiers, Challenger Play-offs and the Match will grace the Great Sound for what is expected to the most significant six months in the Island’s long maritime history.

The announcement was not wholly unexpected, as the teams had already shown their preference for all the serious racing to be held at one venue after World Series events conclude their tour around the world.

“At our competitor forum meeting this week, the teams agreed on the details of our race programme in 2017,” Harvey Schiller, the commercial commissioner, said.

All teams will compete in a double round-robin format in the new 48ft America’s Cup Class wing-sailed foiling catamaran.

The top four challengers from the Qualifiers will advance to the Challenger Play-offs, which consist of match racing semi-finals and finals.

The winner of the Play-offs will meet the defending champion, Oracle Team USA, in the America’s Cup Match.

A detailed race calendar will be determined by the commercial commissioner in consultation with the competitors and Iain Murray, the regatta director, and published in due course, organisers said.

It now remains to be seen how Emirates Team New Zealand will react to the official announcement to stage the America’s Cup Qualifiers in Bermuda.

The Kiwis filed an application to the America’s Cup arbitration panel to reinstate Auckland as the venue for the Qualifiers after a majority of the teams were in favour of changes to the 35th America’s Cup Protocol to reduce costs, which included a reduction in boat size and, as a consequence, the withdrawal of Auckland as the America’s Cup Qualifier host city.

The Kiwis have challenged the controversial revision based on a signed and accepted bid they claim was announced to the teams in accordance with the original Protocol governing rules for the Cup.

Luna Rossa, the Italian challenger, withdrew, criticising decisions by organisers as “unprecedented and illegitimate” and their complaints were backed by the Kiwis.

Local sailing enthusiasts will get their first taste of America’s Cup action when Bermuda hosts the World Series in October in the modified AC45 catamaran, which has now been equipped with foiling capabilities like its larger cousins, the AC72 and AC62.

Yesterday’s announcement coincides with the first visit to the Island by Mr Murray. The former America’s Cup skipper and multiple world champion has travelled to Bermuda to assist with preparations for the World Series and beyond.

“It looks like a nice place to go yachting,” Mr Murray told The Royal Gazette. “Nice breeze and beautiful, clear water.”

The Australian has been reappointed as regatta director having also served in the role at the previous America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013.

His duties include nominating regatta officials and collaborating with all of the teams as well as Mr Schiller in setting the competitive parameters for the event.

Mr Murray took advantage of yesterday’s ideal conditions to assess the racecourse in the Great Sound.

“It’s always good to look at the racecourse and understand the geography,” he said.

“It looks like an interesting racecourse and I can see it being a lot of different winners because I think you are likely to go out on different breezes, which is a good thing.”