America’s Cup Postcard to Debut : Collectibles: Postal Service to launch card honoring yacht races.

A colorful postcard honoring the America’s Cup yacht races--sure to be a hit with collectors--will go on sale Wednesday, the U.S. Postal Service announced.

“Only postal customers in San Diego and (collectors) that have mailed in requests will be able to purchase the card May 6. The rest of the country will have to wait until May 7,” said San Diego Postmaster General Margaret Sellers.

The 5 1/4-inch by 3 1/2-inch specially produced card will be sold to the public for 50 cents, which includes 19 cents for postage.

The front of the card features a full-color reproduction of the Ranger, winner of the 1937 America’s Cup, said Ken Boyd, spokesman for the postal service. Wind-filled ocher sails, the bright white dress of the crew and a complementary green ocean and blue sky fill the card, which is trimmed in white.

The back of the card has space for an address and notes. In the upper right-hand corner is a 1-inch by 2-inch drawing of the Reliance, the 1903 winner of the America’s Cup.

The card was designed by Dennis Simon of Sparks, Md. The card was Simon’s first design for the post office, Boyd said.

On Wednesday, the card will go on sale at all post offices in the city of San Diego. Collectors can receive valuable first-day cancellation stamps at three San Diego post offices, Boyd said.

“The first-day cancel increases the card’s value. What most collectors try to achieve are collections full of first- day cancellations. It makes the cards more special,” Boyd said.

The first-day cancellations will be available at the Tierrasanta Postal Store, Suite A at 6030 Santo Road; the Golden Triangle Postal Store, in Room 238 on 8650 Genesee Ave.; and at the Old Town Philatelic Unit on 2535 Midway Drive.

Though the card will go on sale Wednesday, the dedication ceremony, which usually accompanies new cards, will take place Friday. The dedication will take place during a downtown celebration marking the beginning of the America’s Cup finals Saturday, the spokesman said.