America's Cup trophy on display in Newport

This city brands itself as a world-class sailing mecca, but that identity has felt somehow incomplete since the departure of the America's Cup races more than a quarter-century ago.

Newport has a chance to again host the international sailing competition for the first time since 1983, and as state and federal officials welcomed the arrival of the America's Cup trophy on a victory tour Thursday, they also mounted an aggressive bid against California competitors to bring the races back to the city.

"At the end of the day, Rhode Island is the Ocean State, Newport is the sailing capital and we've got to get that cup so it just doesn't visit here," Republican Gov. Don Carcieri said Thursday at a festive luncheon aimed at celebrating the winning team, American syndicate BMW Oracle Racing, but also at selling Newport as the next venue for the races.

BMW Oracle Racing, owned by billionaire software mogul Larry Ellison, captured the 33rd America's Cup in February off the coast of Valencia, Spain. The winning team gets to select the venue for the next contest.

San Francisco, San Diego and Newport - which hosted the racing from 1930 until 1983 when the New York Yacht Club's 132-year winning streak ended - have all been mentioned as contenders.

The trophy, the oldest in international sport, was publicly displayed in Newport on Thursday at Bannister's Wharf and Fort Adams State Park. Visitors had a chance to photograph the silver trophy on its pedestal.

Newport's chances of hosting the 34th America's Cup, likely in 2013 or 2014, are unclear at best. Ellison has publicly stated that San Francisco is his first choice. He met personally with officials in San Francisco and San Diego during visits to those cities immediately after winning the cup but did come to Newport on Thursday.

But sailing enthusiasts here say they're not discouraged as city, state as federal officials plan a full-throated bid to get the cup back, invoking Newport's nautical heritage and its natural attributes - like generous wind and the expansive Narragansett Bay - and promising a mammoth economic impact.

"This is not about just simply showcasing the history of Newport," Keith Stokes, executive director of the state Economic Development Corporation, said in an interview earlier this week. "It's about demonstrating that we've got not only the political will but the services and the amenities to host and sustain a successful America's Cup race today."

A committee has been discussing logistics of hosting the race and is awaiting a formal request for proposals, and members of the state's Congressional delegation met with the winning team in Washington earlier this week.

"You can feel it in the air, you absolutely can feel it in the air - the excitement level," Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport, said in an interview.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Thursday the America's Cup would be an economic "game-changer" in this struggling state, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue. He said the state would fight as hard to host the cup as BMW Oracle fought to win it. And he said the arrival of the races would bring unmatched excitement in the Ocean State.

"California can't say that," Whitehouse said. "It's a big place with a big economy."

A decision on the next venue isn't expected for several months.