The America’s Cup, the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, returns this year for its 37th edition.
The 183-year-old sporting challenge, first contested in 1851, has become one of the most highly anticipated sailing events on the calendar, with fast racing and technique at the forefront.
After winning the previous America’s Cup in 2021, Emirates Team New Zealand dictated the venue and parts of the rules for this year’s competition, which will be held in Barcelona.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 2024 America’s Cup, which promises to be an exciting preliminary regatta, starting on Thursday evening (AEST).
Watch the 37th America’s Cup LIVE on Fox Sports, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >
FORMAT
The America’s Cup and the Challenger Selection Series, this year called the Louis Vuitton Cup, consist of head-to-head match races pitting two boats against each other.
Emirates Team New Zealand, known as the Defender who won the previous competition, earned immediate qualification for the America’s Cup match, while their opponent will be determined in the Louis Vuitton Cup, which runs from August 29 to October 7.
The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will be determined after a series of round robins, semi-finals and finals, with five boats participating this year.
The America’s Cup match, between the Defender and a challenging ship, is a best-of-13 series with one point awarded for each victory. The first team to win seven points will be declared champions and become the defenders of the 38th America’s Cup.
Each competing ship must be designed and built exclusively in the country it represents, with this year marking the first time a New Zealand team has chosen to defend an America’s Cup victory abroad.
PROVISIONAL REGATTA
Before the Louis Vuitton Cup gets underway, the six boats will compete in their new AC75s at the third and final Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona.
Points won during the Preliminary Regatta will not count towards progression or elimination, but it will give the teams a chance to get a glimpse of the competition leading up to the Louis Vuitton Cup.
The Preliminary Regatta starts on Thursday in Barcelona and runs until Sunday.
SCHEDULE
August 21: practice day preliminary regatta
August 22-25: Barcelona preliminary regatta
August 29 – September 8: Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins 1 and 2
September 14-19: Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals
September 26 – October 7: Louis Vuitton Cup Final
October 12-27: the America’s Cup
HOW TO WATCH
Every race in the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup will be shown live on Fox Sports and streaming platform Kayo Sports.
Coverage starts this Thursday at 10pm AEST.
BOATS
The AC75s, an innovative 22-metre foil monohull first introduced at the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland in 2021, returns for their second outing this year, albeit with significant modifications and improvements.
“If you look at the boat now, the boat we are launching soon (compared to what we had last time) is a big step forward for us,” said Kevin Shoebridge, Chief Operating Officer of Emirates Team New Zealand. .
“There are a lot of things from the outside that you will never see – the control systems and all that, the engineering and how you sail the boat – a lot of those things you won’t see, but for us there have been some big steps forward.
“I expect all boats will be a big step forward, and who knows? What typically happens with these rules is that as you move from one iteration to the next, they all slowly blend together. So they may look alike.”
TEAMS
Emirates Team New Zealand (the defender)
Hunting: Taihoro
Country: New Zealand
CEO: Grant Dalton
Mate: Peter Burling
INEOS Britannia
Yacht: Britannia
Country: Great Britain
CEO: Sir Ben Ainslie
Mate: Sir Ben Ainslie
American magic
Hunting: Patriot
Country: America
CEO: Mike Cazer
Chairman: Terry Hutchinson
Mate: Terry Hutchinson
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team
Hunting: Tifosi
Country: Italy
Chairman: Patrizio Bertelli
Helmsmen: Max Sirena, Francesco Bruni, Jimmy Spithill
Alinghi Red Bull Racing
Yacht: BoatOne
Country: Switzerland
Team Leader: Ernesto Bertarelli
Mates: Arnaud Psarofaghis, Maxime Bachelin, Nicolas Charbonnier
Orient Express racing team
Yacht: Orient Express
Country: France
CEOs: Bruno Dubois, Stephan Kandler
Helmsmen: Quentin Delapierre, Kevin Peponnet
RULE CHANGES
There are minor changes to the boat regulations this year, with crew numbers on the foiling monohulls reduced from 11 to eight.
To reduce costs, teams are only allowed to build one AC75 for the America’s Cup, while national rules have become stricter: 100 percent of each competitor’s racing crew must be a passport holder of the country of the team’s yacht club, or by March 2018 and March 2021 have been physically present in that country for 18 months.
That’s the case for Australian sailor Tom Slingsby, who will join the American Magic team after previously helping Oracle Team USA to America’s Cup glory.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2021 — Team New Zealand
2017 — Team New Zealand
2013 — Oracle Team USA
2010 – BMW Oracle Racing (United States)
2007 — Alinghi
2003 — Alinghi
2000 — Team New Zealand
1995 — Team New Zealand
1992 — Amerika3 (United States)
1988 – Stars & Stripes ’89 (United States)
1987 – Stars & Stripes ’87 (United States)
1983 – Australia II (Australia)
1980 – Freedom (United States)
1977 – Courageous (United States)
1974 – Courageous (United States)
1970 – Intrepid (United States)
1967 – Intrepid (United States)
1964 – Constellation (United States)
1962 – Weatherly (United States)
1958 — Columbia (United States)
1937 – Ranger (United States)
1934 – Rainbow (United States)
1930 – Enterprise (United States)
1920 – Resolute (United States)
1903 – Reliance (United States)
1901 — Columbia (United States)
1899 — Columbia (United States)
1895 – Defender (United States)
1893 – Watchful (United States)
1887 – Volunteer (United States)
1886 — Mayflower (United States)
1885 – Puritan (United States)
1881 – Mischief (United States)
1876 — Madeleine (United States)
1871 — Columbia/Sappho (United States)
1870 – Magic (United States)
1851 — America (United States)
