America's Cup

Team New Zealand has informed on the time schedule for the 36th America's Cup Challenge. In the coming September, the Protocol in preparation together with the Challenger of Record 'Luna Rossa' will be published. The Challenger Series will begin in Autumn 2021 in Auckland NZL. The most important change will be, that a "constructed in country" requirement for competing yachts and a nationality requirement for competing crew members will be included.
The Team NZL Announcement.

The July edition of the World Sailing Show is dedicated to the America’Cup Bermuda activities, the Cup itself, the J-Class races and the Red Bull America’s Cup. Furthermore, the Sailing World Cup Final in Santander ESP has been covered, and a preview on the oldest and the most famous round the world race, the Volvo Ocean Race, has been included.

Want to hear the first comments of the 'Team New Zealand' key people e.g. Grant Dalton, Glenn Ashby .... giving insights on ups and downs of the Challenge ? Here an interesting and entertaining 30 minutes' interview of Peter Lester and Martin Tasker for Vodafone New Zealand, half of it with Dalton. The interview .

A superior 'Team New Zealand' did not leave any chance to the Cup Defender 'Oracle Team' yesterday and made everything clear in the first race of the day winning the necessary 7th point. The official news and the comment of Paul Cayard USA.
The next America's Cup will be in Auckland, probably in 2021, and the Challenger of Record has already been accepted: Luna Rossa ITA will be back in the America's Cup and represent the interests of the Challengers when the Rules will be drafted by the new Defender 'Team NZL'. The news.
The CEO of 'Team NZL' Grant Dalton has promised news about the future Cup Challenge within two weeks. Monohull or multihull has been the most asked question. One interesting remark from Dalton: "Pumping oil around a boat isn't necessarily yachting in one sense!" An article in NZHerald (read Dalton summary below the 10min video clip).

Light winds prevailed again yesterday on the Great Sound of Bermuda and the Defender 'Team Oracle' with Jimmy Spithill AUS was without any chances against the convincing 'Team New Zealand', not due to lack of speed, but above all because Spithill and his team made too many errors. Match point today as with a 6-1 score, ....just one more victory of Peter Burling NZL and his team will bring the Cup 'home' to New Zealand. This could happen this evening UTC.
The news and the comment of Paul Cayard USA.

After a 5 days' pause, the America's Cup Challenge resumed yesterday with two races. The question, whether 'Oracle' with Jimmy Spithill AUS succeeded to compensate for the speed handicap in the prevailing light air was answered quickly: .... they did with new foils. Only some tactical and handling errors prevented them from winning race 1 and 'Team NZL' put the score one up to 4-0. In the second race, 'Oracle' controlled 'Team NZL' and grasped their first point with a 9 sec advantage to a 4-1 results. This means, that racing will continue at least until Monday to realize 7 victories.
The daily news and the informative comment of Paul Cayard USA.

This evening at 6h UTC, the duel between 'Team New Zealand' with Peter Burling NZL and 'Oracle' with Jimmy Spithill AUS will continue. Four days are left to grasp the Cup with 7 wins. How far will the New Zealanders be at the end of the day .... and go with a matchpoint in tomorrows' races ? Was 'Oracle' in the past five days in a position to make their AC50 faster in the light winds that have been forecast for today ?
The preview.

The wind was somewhat fresher on the second and crucial day of the Youth America's Cup allowing for the first time to fly the AC45s. 'New Zealand Sailing Team' was unbeatable in these conditions and won all three heats. Thanks to the big advantage from day one, 'BAR Academy' with Robert Bounce GBR stayed on rank one overall by a small margin, leaving the Silver Medal to the New Zealanders. The Swiss 'Team Tilt' had a solid day moving them on the podium to grasp Bronze. 'Next Generation USA' was eliminated in the Qualifiers already.
The official news with final results.

No flying day on the first Final day of the Youth America's Cup, but nevertheless, the three races have been completed. With the day ranks 2/2/1, 'BAR Academy' with Robert Pounce GBR had a smashing start leading with a solid 7 points advantage on 'Team Tilt' with Sébastien Schneiter SUI and 'Team France' with Robin Follin FRA at equal points. Today is the second and last day of the Youth America's Cup with another three races on the program.
The official news with the results.

After the first four Rounds of the America's Cup Challenge, it is the Youths' turn (U24) today and tomorrow. The eight Youths' teams qualified for the Final will sail six fleetraces to determine the Youth America's Cup winner. Four years ago in San Franisco, Peter Burling NZL grasped the Youths' title and today, he is the helmsman of the4 NZL America's-Cup-Cat.
The 'Youth Team New Zealand' and ths Swedish 'Artemis Youth Team' are the favorites based on the performance in the Qualifiers. Will again prevail the same light-wind conditions that barely allowed the AC45F multihull to fly ? Changed conditions could well influence the overall rankings.
The official preview.

For many are the J-Class Yachts the most beautiful sailboats ever. During the 2017 America's Cup Challenge, 7 teams started yesterday to their regatta. Never in th 87-year history of these former America's Cup Class, such a big fleet was sailing together.
Three different team finished on the first race rank in yesterday's races. 'Hanuman' with Ken Read USA and 'Ranger' with Brad Butterworth NZL share the lead at equal points followed one point behind by 'Velsheda' folgt on rank 3.
The news and the presentation video. Three more races are on the program today.

On day two of the America's Cup Challenge, 'Team New Zealand' with Peter Burling NZL recorded two more back-to-back victories over the Cup Defenders, putting themselves 3-0 up in the first-to-seven series that will determine the winner of the 35th America’s. The superior boat speed made the difference again yesterday. Four more days with two races per day are on the program, starting June 24. Will the Americans be able to compensate for the speed deficit during the coming 5 days ?
The news with videos and results as well as the short comment of Paul Cayard USA .

The 35th America's Cup Challenge began yesterday on the Bermuda Great Sound in shifty light winds (8-10 kn) just enough to foil. Two races were on the program with the Cup Defender 'Oracle' with Jimmy Spithill AUS one point up thanks to the bonus as Qualification Series winner.
But it was not 'Oracle's' day. A penalty for crossing the line early and a clearly slower cat during race 1 made up for a clear win for 'Team NZL' of Peter Burling NZL. Even worse was race 2, as 'Oracle' starting on the favored position, could not avoid, that the New Zealanders were first at mark 1 and extended their lead with with the faster boat and perfect handling to over 600 m. But on leg 5, the tactian Tom Slingsby AUS of 'Oracle' almost reduced the 1:35 min backlog with a genious split and sailing the shifts perfectly. But a completely failed gibe got the Americans fall from the foils and 'Team NZL' flew away concluding the race with a 1:28 min advantage, ending the day one point up on 'Oracle'.
Somewhat fresher winds have been announced for the two races today. Will 'Oracle' be able to find a solution to keep the Kiwis back ?
The news with results and the video interviews, as well as the comment of Paul Cayard USA.