America's Cup

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.

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.

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 .