America's Cup Blog

Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa teams have spent the last four months putting together the AC75 concept design to push the  boundaries of the sport and could potentially have a boat that will be more exciting and faster than the AC50.   The AC75 combines extremely high-performance sailing and great match racing with the safety of a boat that can right itself in the event of a capsize. The ground-breaking concept is achieved through the use of twin canting T-foils, ballasted to provide righting-moment when sailing, and roll stability at low speed. Source: Emirates Team New Zealand

After long time away from the biggest sailing competition, the New York Yacht Club, represented by Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association, will challenge for the 36th America's Cup. The New York Yacht Club held the America's Cup trophy from 1851 to 1983 when it was lost to Australia II.  The last time NYYC challenged for the cup was with Team Dennis Conner for the 2002-'03 America's Cup. The challenging syndicate will be led by two of the most successful American yachtsmen of the last decade: John J. "Hap" Fauth and Doug DeVos.  The entries for the 36th America's Cup officially open on January 1st 2018 which we are also expected to see Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) and still waiting on confirmation that there could be teams from Australia, France, Swizterland and another American challenger but time will tell if there are more challengers than the 35th America's Cup. Source:  New York Yacht Club Source:  Nigel Marple

We now have the details around the 36th America's Cup protocol and confirmation of the class of boats, nationality rules and challenger series now being the Prada Cup. Specific details of the boat are still to be announced  November 30 for the AC75 class concepts and all details for the AC75 class further released in  March 31, 2018 but at the moment they will 75 foot monohulls with 10-12 crew members.  We will continue to see world series events but no details on locations yet, both challenger and defender will be involved during 2019 to 2020 until the Prada Cup begins then Emirates Team New Zealand will only be able to test with their two boats until the America's Cup race begins March 2021.  The location of the event has not been confirmed as Auckland yet due to infrastructure but is highly likely and added if some sort of natural disasters would happen  the regatta would be moved to Italy,  to give certainties to teams involved of bac...

Louis Vuitton has a long history with the America's Cup and has been the naming sponsor for the challenger series since 1980, this challenger series picks who will fight the defender for the America's Cup final. This is another leak from Italian media along with confirmation that the 36th event will be raced in foiling monohulls and be part of the deal with Luna Rossa being the challenger of record. The challenger series will most likely be renamed the Prada Cup with the winner of that much longer series going on to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the match for the America's Cup. Source: Stuff.co.nz Image:  Carlo Borlenghi

Grant Dalton has confirmed the 36th America's Cup will return to the traditional arm grinders  "The grinders will return," Dalton told Italy's La Stampa newspaper", this will put a larger focus on the sailing team winning match races and not as much emphasis will be put on how much oil a crew can make like in Bermuda. Dalton also added that the conditions in Auckland is choppy compared to Bermuda and wouldn't be ideal for catamaran sailing.  TNZ are set to release their plans for the regatta next week, but the final design rules are not expected until Nov. 30. Source: Reuters

It has been revealed by the challenger of record Luna Rossa headed by Patrizio Bertelli to newspaper La Stampa that the 36th version of the America's Cup will move away from catamarans to monohulls. Emirates Team New Zealand has also confirmed that they are working with multiple challengers on the design of the monohulls which will be foiling. These boats will put more emphasis on the crew rather than hydraulic power with the catamarans. Source: NZ Herald

Emirates Team New Zealand win the 35th America's Cup