America's Cup

Yesterday, Sailing Illustrated reported that the 'Malta Altus Challenge' had been accepted by the Cup Defender RNZYS as fourth challenger, joining the Challenger of Record 'Luna Rossa', and the other challengers 'American Magic' and 'Team INEOS UK'.
The news.

After Ben Ainslie GBR and his INEOS-team, the US challenger tested their test monohull for the first time. With 38 foot, their test boat is somewhat longer compared to the one of the Brits, just at the max OWL allowed in the Protocol.
The short report and the video.

After Team New Zealands victory in the last cup, rumours were going around that Ernesto Bertarelli SUI and his Alinghi will return in the America's Cup. In an interview during the GC32 Worlds on Lake Garda Ernesto Bertarelli renounced a future paricipation. The foiling monhulls will reduce the number of participants, it will a Cup for the constructors and not the sailors. If Team New zealand would have continued on multihulls, Alinghi would have been present in Auckland. The report.

INEOS, a UK company headquartered in Rolle/Lake Geneva SUI since 2010, has formed 'INEOS Team GB' and is making the biggest ever British investment in the America’s Cup in an unprecedented effort to bring the trophy back to Britain for the first time since the competition was established in 1851. 'INEOS Team GB' has teamed up with Sir Ben Ainslie replacing 'Landrover' as title sponsor, who will continue to lead the design and build boat programme and skipper the racing yacht, challenging the current holder 'Emirates Team New Zealand' on behalf of Royal Yacht Squadron Racing. INEOS is committed to spending £110 million, as Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS founder and chairman confirmed.

Want to know more about the AC75 technology ? There were a bunch of unanswered questions from the America’s Cup AC75 Class Rule presentation last week. Ray Davies and Dan Bernasconi from Emirates Team New Zealand answer a few more questions on the specifics of the rule in a video discussion.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia, together with their respective teams Emirates 'Team New Zealand' and the Challenger of Record - 'Luna Rossa', published the AC75 Class Rule for the 36th America’s Cup yesterday according to schedule.
The AC75 Class Rule defines the parameters within which teams can design a yacht eligible to compete in the 36th America’s Cup. It regulates all aspects of the boat to ensure fair and exciting racing, whilst leaving plenty of freedom for innovation to flourish.
The details with video explanations.


The development of the Class Rule has been a four-month process led by Emirates Team New Zealand, working together with Luna Rossa Challenge

The America's Cup holder 'Team New Zealand' presented yesterday the concept for the AC75, the class of boat to be sailed in the 36th America's Cup in 2021, a bold and modern vision for the high-performance fully foiling monohull racing yacht. The news and the video.

The general Voting Window to select the World Sailor of the Year 2017 is open now until Tuesday, November 7.
The most cited favorite in the Men is the America's Cup winner Peter Burling NZL, btw also 2016 Olympic Champion in the 49ers, and with his crew Blair Tuke NZL already Sailor of the Year 2015. Tuke, also on the AC winning foiling catamaran, has not been nominated this time. Both are at present underway at the Ocean Race in different teams.
In the women, the Laser Radial World Champion Marit Bouwmeester NED and Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze BRA are the favorites.
The preview and the
voting link.

After the release of the Protocol for the 36th America's Cup to be sailed on foiling monohulls, three nations have already now expressed their intention to challenge the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron represented by Emirates Team New Zealand. After 'BAR' Racing with Ben Ainslie GBR and 'Groupama Team France' with Franck Cammas FRA, the New York YC held a Press Conference yesterday to launch the challenge represented by the newly founded "Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association (BQRA)", a joint venture of the owners John 'Hap' Fauth and Doug Devos (a.o. owner of Quantum Sails). Skipper and CEO of the syndicat will be Terry Hutchinson USA (tactician on the Maxi Bella Mente as well as on the TP52 Quantum). The explicit 25-min breaking news on TFE Take Five.

First reactions by possible America’s Cup candidates have been published immediately after the AC 36 Protocol announcement two days ago. While Land Rover BAR’s Ben Ainslie GBR is eager to bring the Cup home to England also under the new conditions, Alinghi SUI puts up some question marks and announces, that a decision will be taken at the end of the 2017 season, where the Swiss team is still fighting for the GC32 Extreme Sailing Series title defence in the last two events in North America.

As announced after the Cup Victory three months ago, the America's Cup defender 'Team New Zealand' and the Challenger of Record 'Prada' released the Protocol of the 36th America's Cup in Auckland on time yesterday.
The most important changes were already rumored during the past weeks: The AC75 Class will be a monohull - obviously - 75 foot long, not yet decided whether foiling or not. Strict nationality rules shall make the Cup a "Competition among Nations". The boats must be laminated in the country of the competitor. 20% or three crew, whichever is higher, must be true nationals (i.e. citizens) of the competing yacht club. The remainder of the crew can be made up of temporary residents of the challenging yacht club’s country. The Challenger Selection Series will be called Prada Cup. The intended venue is Auckland, New Zealand with the Match to be raced in March 2021, preceded by The Prada Cup in January and February 2021, details to be announced by August 31st, 2018.
The news.

In a statement. the America's Cup defender, “Emirates Team New Zealand, informs, that after consulting with a number of potential challengers, there is an overall desire to have a spectacular monohull yacht that will be exciting to match race, but also one that the public and sailors can relate to as a sail boat that really challenges a full crew of professional yachtsman around the race track. Additionally, they intend for the Protocol to contain a “constructed in country” requirement for competing yachts and a nationality requirement for competing crew members.
An interview with Patrizio Bertelli Prada regarding the 36th America's Cup.