First peek at New York Yacht Club’s America’s Cup test boat

The New York Club American Magic team gave fans a sneak peek of the test boat they are training on for the 2021 America’s Cup on Instagram at the end of October.

Now a video of the monohull being tested by the team has been posted on the social media app. The monohull can be seen up on its foils flanked by two boats.

American Magic recently announced their partnership with Helly Hansen. The Norwegian sailing brand will create the racing apparel for the American team.

The 36th America’s Cup will take place in New Zealand in 2021.

13 August 2018 

Pirelli has signed an agreement with Luna Rossa Challenge to partner with Prada.
The tyre manufacturing company and the Italian fashion house will be co-titled sponsors of Luna Rossa as the sailing team takes part in the next edition of the America’s Cup, which takes place in New Zealand in 2021.

The two companies will work together with Luna Rossa from this year until 2021 on a variety of events, regattas, and activities.
In 2019 the first two regattas of the America’s Cup World Series will take place in the Mediterranean; in 2020 another three World Series regattas will be held in Europe, the US and Asia; from January 2021, the Prada Cup, Challenger selection regattas will take place in Auckland, followed by the 36th edition of the America’s Cup Presented by Prada, in March 2021.

The Italian Team, along with the the US’ New York Yacht Club American Magic and Great Britain’s INEOS Team UK will challenge Emirates Team New Zealand, the current holders of the Cup.

Patrizio Bertelli, Chairman of Luna Rossa Challenge, said: “Pirelli is the ideal partner for this new America’s Cup challenge. With over half a century’s experience at the highest levels of high technology world sports, it will be an important asset at the heart of our project. In this sense it is correct to speak of a real and true collaboration between the Team and Pirelli.”

Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice President and CEO of Pirelli commented: ” Pirelli chose to be a part of this project because it represents both a sporting and technological challenge, able to bring Italy and the Pirelli brand to the attention of the entire world. The America’s Cup, as Formula 1 is to motorsport, is the most prestigious sailing competition, with a great history and tradition. It embodies values and is for a public of impassioned fans that perfectly match Pirelli’s, enabling the company to continue enriching its brand, reinforcing its positioning in high technology with clients around the world and its relationship with consumers through traditional channels and all the new digital platforms.”

10 August 2018

The New York Yacht Club have announced the initial sailing team challenging for the 36th America’s Cup.

Three team members of American Magic team are previous Cup winners, and 8 are Olympians, with two medals won. The Olympic athletes who are also on the US Sailing Team will be given the flexibility to pursue their campaigns for Tokyo 2020 whilst being part of the America’s Cup team.

“This team roster includes a great balance of proven experience and youth, and will help establish the next generation of America’s Cup talent in the United States,” said Hap Fauth, Team Principal and CEO of American Magic.

“Thanks to the efforts of our partners at US Sailing, Oakcliff and other organizations that have supported high-performance sailing, we have capable athletes coming out of Olympic, foiling and development classes here at home. They will help our team win on the water, and also help reengage the American audience with sailing’s pinnacle event.”

“The return of America’s Cup activity to the Newport, Rhode Island area will be a thrilling sight for sailing fans here, across the country and around the world,” said Phil Lotz, the 65th Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. “For 175 years, the New York Yacht Club has been dedicated to moving competitive sailing forward. Defending and challenging for the Cup, a trophy we held for 132 years, has been a large part of the club’s commitment to our sport. We’re proud to return to the America’s Cup arena with this exceptional sailing team.”

The New York Yacht Club had the longest winning streak in sport and held the America’s Cup from 1851 to 1983.

The New York Club American Magic Team has been announced as:

Skipper and Executive Director:

• Terry Hutchinson (United States)

Helms/Tacticians:

• Dean Barker (New Zealand)
• Andrew Campbell (United States)
• Bora Gulari (United States)
• Ian Moore (Great Britain)

Sail Trimmers:

• Trevor Burd (United States)
• Maciel Cicchetti (Argentina)
• Paul Goodison (Great Britain)
• David Hughes (United States)

Specialists:

• Matt Cassidy (United States)
• Sean Clarkson (California – Nationality: New Zealand)
• Jim Turner (New Zealand)

Grinders:

• Cooper Dressler (United States)
• Luke Muller (United States)
• Caleb Paine (United States)
• Luke Payne (Australia)
• Joe Spooner (New Zealand)

Head Coach:

• James Lyne (United States)

American Magic are one of the three teams who will challenge Emirates Team New Zealand. The others are Italy’s Luna Rossa and Great Britain’s INEOS Team UK.

10 October 2017

From 1851 until 1983, the New York Yacht Club held the America’s Cup.

The longest winning streak in sports came to an end 34 years ago, when it lost to the Royal Perth Yacht Club’s Australia II off the Newport coast.

It last challenged in the 2002-2003 America’s Cup with Team Dennis Conner.

Now, the New York Yacht Club, represented by Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association, is again looking to win the oldest trophy in sport – the Auld Mug.

The syndicate is led by two of the most successful American yachtsmen of the last decade: John J. “Hap” Fauth and Doug DeVos.

Liberty on starboard watching Australia II cross the finish line to win the 1983 America’s Cup.

“The America’s Cup has always remained close to the heart of the New York Yacht Club, even in the years where we didn’t participate as a challenger or defender,” said Commodore Philip A. Lotz.

“For this cycle, a lot of elements have come together in the correct way for the club to enter another challenge,” he continued.

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“First and foremost is the desire of two great American sailors and businessmen, Hap Fauth and Doug DeVos, to take aim at sailing’s ultimate competition. We know they will mount a competitive effort that is respectful of the Club’s long history with the Cup and the competition itself,” stressed Lotz.

“Second, we have confidence the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Emirates Team New Zealand, will host a world-class regatta that honors the spirit, tradition and majesty of this great event,” he added.

Fauth is a three-time world champion in the Maxi72 class, having successfully helmed three successive yachts named Bella Mente to podium positions in numerous distance and buoy races at venues in North America, Europe and the Caribbean.

The first winner of the iconic race, America. The trophy was subsequently donated to the New York Yacht Club and was renamed the America’s Cup. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

DeVos and the Quantum Racing programme have seen success on the 52 Super Series circuit, and its predecessor, the MedCup, with overall series wins in 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

One common link between the two teams is Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association skipper and CEO Terry Hutchinson, a two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and veteran America’s Cup competitor, who sailed as tactician for Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2007 America’s Cup match, the last to be contested in monohulls.

Fauth said he was excited to get started on the challenge.

“The America’s Cup is sailing’s most complex challenge.Winning takes a complete team effort, and I’ve always found tremendous satisfaction in bringing together a group of individuals in pursuit of one goal,” he said.

“With a return to a more traditional style of yacht and the windward-leeward courses with which the vast majority of racing sailors are intimately familiar, the 36th America’s Cup represents a unique opportunity to re-engage the grass roots of the sport and re-energise American sailing,” he continued.

“A lot of what we’ve built with the Bella Mente program, and what Doug and his team have created with Quantum Racing, will go into the foundation of this campaign. But there’s still a tremendous amount of work to do over the next three-plus years,” added Fauth.

Entrance to the New York Yacht Club. Credit: Arun De Joe/Wikimedia Commons

Doug DeVos is no stranger to an America’s Cup challenge. His father Richard was the chairman of the New York Yacht Club’s America II syndicate, which fell just short of the semifinals in the 1987 challenger eliminations in Perth, Australia.

The owner of Quantum Sails, DeVos has used the Quantum Racing programme as a test bed for sail design and construction technology.

“Building Quantum Racing from scratch into a programme synonymous with hard work, team spirit and success has been tremendously satisfying, and I’m eager to take everything we’ve learned there and apply it toward sailing’s ultimate test,” stressed DeVos.

“Between Hap, Terry and myself, we have the nucleus of a successful campaign, both on the water and off. We’re honored to represent the New York Yacht Club in this historic competition,” he added.

Even though entries for the 36th America’s Cup won’t officially open until 1 January 2018, and the class rule for the AC75 won’t be finalised until early spring, the New York Yacht Club said there were many pivotal decisions ahead for the team.

“The return to monohulls will enable the team to pool the technological resources of two elite sailing programs and get a jump on the competition,” said the club in its official media release.

29 September

Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand have released the much anticipated rules and regulations for the 36th America’s Cup.

The competition will be fought in the AC75 – 75 foot high performance monohulls, which are expected to have foils.

Initial concepts of the boat will be released at the end of November 2017, with the AC75 Class Rule published by the 31 March 2018.

Each team is limited to build two yachts.

The first boat can’t be launched before 31 March 2019, the second can be launched after the 1 February 2020.

Land Rover BAR’s Sir Ben Ainslie said he hoped all key stakeholders would be involved in the development of the new boats.

“We are comfortable with the transition, the key people in our sailing, design, engineering and support teams all have a great deal of relevant experience.” said Sir Ben.

“With the rule not coming out until March, we hope that it will be a collaborative approach to its development with all stakeholders included,” he added.

There is also a strong focus on the nationality of teams.

For the 36th America’s Cup, 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 residents of the challenging yacht club’s country defined by being physically present in that country for a minimum of 380 days over a 2-year period between September 2018 and 31 August 2020.

“We will learn from our mistakes, and come back stronger,” – Sir Ben Ainslie. Credit: Lloyd Images

The aim is to encourage countries to grow their sailing talent.

The rule will not affect Land Rover BAR, which has always had a strong British identity, and a strong programme for nurturing the UK’s young sailors.

Sir Ben Ainslie said he was pleased to see the return of the Challenger Selection Series, which will be officially named The PRADA Cup, after the official sponsor of the 36th America’s Cup.

“It’s good to see that the World Series will continue in 2019, and we look forward to returning to America’s Cup racing in the new class,” he said.

“The Cup has gained a lot of new fans and it was encouraging to hear both the Defender and Challenger of Record’s commitment to delivering the same high standard of global, televisual racing to cement the interest in our sport,” added the Land Rover BAR skipper.

The Challenger Selection Series will be raced internationally in 2019-20 in the AC75 Class boats, culminating with a Christmas Regatta in December 2020 for all competitors.

It will be organised by the Challenger of record, the Italian syndicate, Luna Rossa Challenge.

The dates and venue of both the America’s Cup Match and The PRADA Cup will be announced by 31 August 2018.

The launch of the protocol for the 36th America’s 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.

“The America’s Cup is the hardest trophy to win in world sport, and it’s likely that we will be travelling half-way around the world to compete on the home waters of the world’s most successful modern America’s Cup team,” said Sir Ben.

“Team New Zealand have been in all six of the openly contested Cups since 1995, and they have won three of them. We don’t underestimate the challenge – it is immense – but we will call on the very best of British technology and innovation through our partners, and use that British fighting spirit to finally bring the Cup home to Britain,” he continued.

“We will learn from our mistakes, and come back stronger,” added Sir Ben.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s CEO, Grant Dalton said the protocol for the 36th America’s Cup “has been negotiated to result in a fair and transparent event with cost containment at its centre to help attract as many quality challengers as possible”.

“The plans are coming together nicely – we shall have a very exciting boat that will be fast and powerful. We are pushing the boundaries of what is possible technically and this will test the designers, boat builders and the sailors to the limit. Just what the America’s Cup is all about,” he said.

Each challenger will have to pay US $2 million for the opportunity to compete for the Auld Mug.

The president of the Luna Rossa Challenge, Patrizio Bertelli said the new protocol would see the “original values” of the America’s Cup restored.

“Luna Rossa has welcomed the opportunity to be Challenger of Record for AC36 as a mark of confidence and support towards Team New Zealand and the new course given to the America’Cup. Indeed we could not have accepted this position in the last edition since the environment was not unbiased. After our withdrawal from AC35, we were glad to encourage Team New Zealand and today we renew our congratulations to Grant Dalton and his Team for their fantastic achievement,” he said.

“Now the situation has completely changed: the original values of the Cup are being restored and the traditional prerogatives of each side preserved. Emirates Team New Zealand are longtime friends of Luna Rossa, while fully independent from each other, as was the case during AC 31st when Team New Zealand was the Defender and Luna Rossa the Challenger of Record,” added Bertelli.

Key Dates for the 36th America’s Cup:

30 November 2017: AC75 Class concepts released to key stakeholders

01 January 2018: Entries for Challengers Open

31 March 2018: AC75 Class Rule published

30 June 2018: Entries for Challengers Close

31 August 2018: Location of the America’s Cup Match & The PRADA Cup confirmed

31 August 2018: Specific race course area confirmed

31 December 2018: Late entries Deadline

31 March 2019: Boat 1 can be launched

2nd half of 2019: 2 x America’s Cup World Series Preliminary Events

1 February 2020: Boat 2 can be launched

2020: 3 x America’s Cup World Series Preliminary Events

10-20 December 2020: America’s Cup Christmas Race

January & February 2021: The PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series

March 2021: The America’s Cup Match

13 September

High performance foiling monohulls not catamarans will be used for the next edition of the America’s Cup.

The decision was confirmed by the defenders of the 36th America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand.

In a statement, the team said concepts were already being worked on.

“Currently there are a team of designers, lead by Emirates Team New Zealand design coordinator Dan Bernasconi working on various exciting monohull concepts which will eventually help shape the AC36 Class Rule,” it said.

“Emirates Team New Zealand have been consulting with a number of potential challengers and 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,” it added.

Emirates Team New Zealand lift the ‘Auld Mug’ after beating Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA 7-1 to win the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda

The change is unlikely to be welcome news for other America’s Cup teams, which have invested millions of pounds into designing and creating the foiling AC35 catamarans used in the last competition in Bermuda.

YBW.com asked Land Rover BAR’s team principal and skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie for his reaction to the announcement.

“To date we have not received any information from Emirates Team New Zealand on the new class of boat for the 36th America’s Cup,” said Sir Ben, adding, “We look forward to reviewing the protocol for AC36 in the near future”.

The switch from catamarans to monohulls will come as little surprise to many, and will certainly be welcomed by America’s Cup traditionalists like Ted Turner, who has publicly stated his preference for racing in monohulls.

When Emirates Team New Zealand won the 35th America’s Cup in June after beating ORACLE TEAM USA 7-1, all the plans to deliver the next two America’s Cup competitions fell apart.

The Kiwis were the only team not to sign up to the new America’s Cup framework back in January, which included racing in multihulls.

Foiling catamarans will not feature in the 36th Americas Cup. Credit: © ACEA 2017 / Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, billionaire Patrizio Bertelli, who heads the Italian consortium, Luna Rossa, which is the challenger of record for the 36th America’s Cup, said the deal to return to monohulls was made several years ago when they agreed to help Emirates Team New Zealand with their challenge for the 35th America’s Cup.

“It was the condition for Luna Rossa to help them with men and means in the last edition,” Bertelli told the newspaper.

He said the high performance monohulls “will be very powerful boats” with foiling capabilities, but did not reveal any further detail.

It is also being reported the 36th America’s Cup could be staged in Auckland in 2021.

Further details about the next America’s Cup will be confirmed at the end of the month.

27 June

When Emirates Team New Zealand won the 35th America’s Cup last night, all the plans to deliver the next two America’s Cup competitions fell apart.

The Kiwis were the only team not to sign up to the new America’s Cup framework back in January.

Now, as Defenders, Emirates will decide the conditions of the  36th America’s Cup  – and it will probably be very different from what fans have just witnessed in Bermuda.

Just hours after lifting the Auld Mug, the Kiwis confirmed that the Italian yacht club, Circolo della Vela Sicilia would become the Challenge of Record for the 36th America’s Cup, with its representative team, Luna Rossa Challenge.

Yachting World’s Editor, Elaine Bunting, said this appears to confirm one of the most widely talked about secrets of Cup circles: “that Luna Rossa’s backer, Italian billionaire Patrizio Bertelli, gave Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) design expertise and computer tools, plus $30 million of funding, in 2015 when he pulled out in protest at the change to the AC50 class.

“The deal arranged was said to be on condition that, should ETNZ win, Luna Rossa would be challenger of record for the next America’s Cup. And that the next Cup boat would be a monohull,” explained Elaine Bunting, although Emirates Team New Zealand CEO, Grant Dalton, only hinted “at more seaworthy designs capable of racing in windier, tidal waters, but he did promise they would be ‘spectacular’”.

In a joint statement, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) and Circolo della Vela Sicilia, said: “The 36th America’s Cup will be open to further challengers from any organized Yacht Club of a foreign country under conditions to be announced in due course.”

“RNZYS and its representative team, Emirates Team New Zealand, look forward to working with CVS and Luna Rossa Challenge to create an exciting future for the event by combining innovation with the traditional sporting values of the America’s Cup.”

It is expected that Land Rover BAR will throw their hat into the ring to Challenge for the 36th America’s Cup.

In a statement congratulating Emirates, Land Rover BAR skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: “The team at Land Rover BAR will now await the announcement of Emirates Team New Zealand’s plans for the 36th America’s Cup in the near future.”

We hope the new Protocol and the exciting racing in Bermuda will persuade all existing teams to again do battle for sport’s oldest international trophy, along with encouraging new and old faces to return to the America’s Cup,” he added.

9 June

So far, this 35th America’s Cup has delivered some pretty heart stopping racing moments.

But away from the stadium, what are the teams, fans and pundits really talking about?

Well, fans of Land Rover BAR had this to say when Sir Ben Ainslie and his team got knocked out of the America’s Cup by Emirates Team New Zealand.

Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR’s knockout from the cup will have disappointed this fan, who was clearly hoping for bigger things.

But Sir Ben Ainslie’s wife, Georgie, clearly hinted that the dream to #BringTheCupHome wasn’t over….it just wouldn’t be this year.

Emirate Team New Zealand’s spectacular capsize during their race against Land Rover Bar on 6 June certainly garnered a lot of opinion.

In an interview with the New Zealand Herald,  British yacht designer, Hugh Welbourn, was pretty critical of the Kiwis, saying that helmsman Peter Burling and Team NZ “shot themselves in the foot” with an over aggressive start.

“They should know not to run into another set of foils’ wake at a shallow angle,” he told the New Zealand Herald. “Turbulence, aeration and the vorticity off the leading foil set will totally disrupt the normal flow patterns.”

“Plenty of aircraft have been flipped ‘A over T’ by tip vortexes. Sail any foiler and try and run it behind a prop-wash and you soon find that out. You can cross at a steep angle OK with a brief excursion but they shot themselves well and truly in the foot there,” he added.

Meanwhile, Land Rover BAR’s grinder, David ‘Freddie’ Carr clearly summed up what many were thinking.

And SoftBank Team Japan’s tactician, Chris Draper, certainly didn’t hold back when he described the racing conditions on 6 June.

Yacht racing, like social media, is certainly one place where the heat of the moment can get to you.

Artemis Racing tactician, Iain Percy, was forced to backtrack after he became furious with the umpire’s decision to award them a penalty during their fourth semi-final race against SoftBank Team Japan.

He later took to Twitter to admit he was in the wrong.

Some could perhaps forgive Percy to his initial anger, considering Artemis Racing were penalised in Round Robin One – a decision the America’s Cup Chief Umpire later admitted was a mistake.

But, professional sailor Ian Williams felt all the outcry around the first penalty was unnecessary.

And finally, 1977 America’s Cup winner, Ted Turner, has put the cat amongst the pigeons by suggesting that racing should be in monohulls not catamarans.

The self-confessed America’s Cup traditionalist admitted he didn’t like change in an interview with the Long Island and New York City newspaper, Newsday.

“I’m a traditionalist. Catamarans have a place in racing. I have nothing against catamarans . . . But I feel that the America’s Cup started in monohulls and match racing, and that’s what it was. But that’s just me. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinions. I’m not hurting anybody,” added Turner.

8 June

Despite suffering a dramatic capsize and serious damage to their boat, Emirates Team New Zealand will go through the Challenger Finals on Saturday after leading 5-2 against Land Rover BAR who have now been eliminated from the America’s Cup in the play-offs semi-finals.

Artemis Racing won all of today’s races against SoftBank Team Japan. Currently standing at 4-3, the two teams will battle it out tomorrow to decide who will face Emirates Team New Zealand in the Challenger Finals on Saturday, 10 June.

2 June 2017

Emirates are going from strength to strength after winning both races today, the first against SoftBank Team Japan and the second against Groupama.

Artemis Racing’s win against Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA has helped the Kiwis even further, putting them at the top of the the America’s Cup leaderboard with 8 point, 1 point ahead of the Americans.

Peter Burling’s team will face Jimmy Spithill’s tomorrow, Saturday 3 June, in what will sure be a nail-biting match.

Yesterday’s light winds in the America’s Cup certainly sorted the wheat from the chaff – as Volvo Ocean Race winner, Ian Walker stated on Twitter: “Holy moly! @EmiratesTeamNZ were very impressive”.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s performance in race 5 of the Round Robin 2 matches clearly showed off the brilliance of the design of the team’s cat (longer foils and pedal powered winches), as well as their team tactics (allowing Junior Josh to sit in from of the wingsail to give extra weight for foiling).

From the first gybe at the first mark, the Kiwis left Land Rover BAR lagging behind after R1 nosedived off its foils. Sir Ben Ainslie and his men were also hampered by a “systems failure” resulting in lost control of their foils.

In all, Emirates Team New Zealand were minutes ahead of Land Rover BAR, who eventually retired from the race.

So, could this be a taste of things to come?

Helmsman Peter Burling hinted: “We feel like we still have plenty to come as well and that’s what excites all of us here. We have still got plenty to work on and plenty to come”.

Emirates Team New Zealand are certainly firm favourites in the competition, and have performed well so far, winning six out of their seven races.

By day two (May 28) the Kiwis were already looking solid, making excellent manoeuvres and foiling tacks in some pretty challenging conditions, with wind varying between 8-16 knots and shifting up to 30 degrees. They went on to comfortably  beat SoftBank Team Japan and Land Rover BAR.

Today (2 June), Emirates Team New Zealand face two more matches – against Groupama Team France and SoftBank Team Japan.

If they win, it will put them at the top of the rankings for the first time, making tomorrow’s scheduled match against ORACLE TEAM USA even more exciting!

26 May 2017

There is just over 24 hours to go until the start of the 35th America’s Cup.

The six teams have been making the most of the final days of practice ahead of the start of racing tomorrow (27 May) on the Great Sound in Bermuda.

Racing had to be postponed a day due to forecasted strong winds. Organisers said the decision was made with the safety of the teams and spectators in mind.

Following the final practice race, the skipper and helmsman of Land Rover BAR, Sir Ben Ainslie tweeted that both the boat and team are “feeling good” about the battle ahead.

25 May 2017

Fans of Land Rover BAR can now experience what it is like being on R1 – the British team’s America’s Cup catamaran.

With less than two days to go until the start of the competition in Bermuda, Land Rover and Jaunt in collaboration have released a 360 degree footage of taking flight at 60mph.

Over the last week, Land Rover BAR have been asking the public to back them in their quests to #BringTheCupHome – a reference to the fact that Britain has never won the America’s Cup since the inaugural race around the Isle of Wight in 1851.

America’s Cup: meet the skippers

Not only are supporters being asked to send in their messages of support, but to join the so-called Band of Britain.

A limited edition supporter’s wristband has been launched, priced at £15.

All the money raised will go to the team’s official charity, the 1851 Trust, which aims to encourage all young people to experience sailing and give them opportunities to grow in the sport, understand career choices and wider opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and consider the environment and act sustainably.

8 May 2017

2012 Olympic gold medallist Joe Sullivan is one of two members of Emirates Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup team who is a sailing novice.

The rower, along with former sprint cyclist Simon van Velthooven, are cyclists on the team’s catamaran, which has a cycle grinding system to power the hydraulic systems.

The team’s decision to build a boat with cycling pedestals instead of traditional arm-powered grinding pedestals caused much debate and excitement when it was unveiled in February.

Although, they lack sailing experience, both Sullivan and van Velthooven have clearly been chosen for their ability to push through the pain barrier, and, in van Velthooven’s case, his cycling expertise.

The training is tough. Credit: Hamish Hooper / Emirates Team New Zealand

Around two weeks ago, these sailing newbies got the chance to experience the kind of high speed racing expected at America’s Cup matches when they took part in three races on the final day of official practice racing in Bermuda.

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Sullivan said: “It was definitely a bit more intense, everyone is really switched on and really locked into what we’re doing.”

Simon van Velthooven. Credit: Nicola/Wikimedia Commons

“We didn’t have the best of races, but we learnt a lot, which was really good and just to get out there and really cement that understanding of what you need to do and what the boat needs was really good,” he added.

Emirates Team New Zealand raced Artemis Racing , SoftBank Team Japan and Groupama Team France taking two wins from the three races.

It was certainly better than their earlier experience of Bermudan waters, with the cat nosediving during on practice session

Sullivan said there are many similarities between rowing and grinding.

“It’s definitely very similar (to the intensity of a rowing final), but it’s a bit more on-off. So there are patches where the boat demands a lot of power and you have to give as much as you have and then there are times where you can take it a bit easier, whereas with rowing it is consistently killing you,” explained Sullivan to the New Zealand Herald.

“When you’re giving it a full effort it’s very much the same as rowing,” he added.

4 May 2017

Emirates Team New Zealand unveiled their cycle grinding system to power the hydraulic systems throughout their boat.

Now, Land Rover BAR have made public their secret weapon to win the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda – a bespoke steering wheel.

Engineers have created a one-off steering wheel with gear-shift paddles shaped to fit Sir Ben Ainslie’s hands.

It should give the Olympic legend perfect fingertip control, allowing him to adjust the boat’s hydrofoils with greater precision for the fastest possible racing.

Effectively it means Sir Ben can lift R1, Land Rover BAR’s 2.4-tonne race boat, out of the water with a flick of his fingertips.

Just as an aerofoil helps a plane into the sky, hydrofoils lift a boat out of the water.

The Land Rover steering wheel turns the boat left and right as it would on a car, while the gear shift paddles control its height above the water by controlling the lift from the foils.

Land Rover’s Human Machine Interface engineers spent 18 months developing the wheel that will lift R1 above the water at speeds above 50 knots.

As Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series champions, Land Rover BAR head into the qualifiers for the 35th America’s Cup with a two-point head-start over the remaining challengers.

The team begins its challenge for the America’s Cup on 26 May against Artemis Racing of Sweden.

21 April 2017

There are just 35 days to go until the start of the first America’s Cup race and all six teams are pushing hard, trying to iron out any glitches in their form.

Certainly the skipper of Oracle Team USA – the defenders of the Ould Mug – will be hoping there wont be a repeat of his man overboard during training yesterday.

Jimmy Spithill was trying to leap towards the starboard side of the catamaran, when he lost his footing and ended up in the sea.

“I got sling-shotted off the back,” Spithill told said in a video of the incident posted onto the team’s official YouTube channel.

“I had a split decision to basically say ‘can I stop myself?’, and I made the decision that I could not stop myself.”

Spithill suffered no ill effects from his man overboard, which seems to be a pretty common occurrence.

Last week, a member of Groupama Team France ended up in the sea during practice training before being picked up by a safety boat.

Earlier this year, Spithill’s Oracle Team USA team mate, Graeme Spence went overboard in front of the main beam.

The grinder fell in the water between the two hulls.

A timely reminder of why safety is paramount in yacht racing.

16 February 2017

Emirates Team New Zealand has launched the boat it will use to challenge for the 35th Americas Cup in Bermuda in May.

And unlike the other boats unveiled so far, New Zealand has a cycle grinding system which the team will use to power the hydraulic systems throughout the boat.

Emirates Team New Zealand design coordinator, Dan Bernasconi said moving away from a traditional grinding system was an obvious design choice.

“When we sat down to think about the overall design of this boat three years ago the benefits of cycling opposed to regular grinding were obvious, but certainly not without issues and difficulty with functionality, and this is what we have been working incredibly hard on overcoming for the past three years,” he explained.

“Winning the next America’s Cup is all about maintaining a stable flight on the entire race course and that’s the reason why this boat contains some of the most innovative and powerful technology ever used in this competition in its systems, electronics, hydraulics and foil designs,” stressed Bernasconi.

New Zealand. Credit: Hamish Hooper/Emirates Team New Zealand

The catamaran was unveiled at the team’s Beaumont Street base in Auckland.

“This is a really proud day for the team collectively,” said the team’s CEO Grant Dalton.

“The campaign always just gets real when you launch the actual boat that you hope will be the one to win the America’s Cup back for New Zealand. It’s when things get exciting, and despite the long hard hours everyone has been putting in there is definitely an added edge to the team now this is in the water,” noted The Race winner and five time Whitbread Round the World competitor.

The AC Class catamaran, which is 15 metres (49.2 feet) long and has a 25-metre wing, is the result of the team working six and seven day weeks since July last year.

All the boat’s components were built in New Zealand involving works at Southern Spars, Cookson Boats and C Tech, with the meticulous fit out process being done at the team base since prior to Christmas.

The rule for the America’s Cup Class required certain elements of the boats to be one design (hulls, beams, central pod and wing shape), so designers were mainly focused on control systems and daggerboards where the Protocol allows more flexibility.

Even if the AC Class catamarans are 20-feet shorter and have a 15-metres smaller wing than the AC72s, they are expected to be around 20% faster around the race track than in 2013 in San Francisco.

New Zealand is lowered into the water. Credit: Emirates Team New Zealand

Shore team manager, Sean Regan said the team had be “working so incredibly hard to get to this point”.

“Some guys have been working 12+ hour days everyday without a day off since the 3 January. The fact we are the first team to go sailing on the race boat, considering how late we were compared to the other teams is an unbelievable testament to the drive, focus and determination this very special team has collectively,” he stressed.

“There is a true belief that this team can take on the five other Goliath’s and win this thing,” added Regan.

The emphasis of the campaign now moves from inside the confines of the boat shed to the open water of the Hauraki Gulf, led by skipper and sailing team director, Glenn Ashby.

“It’s been a challenge to get to this point, and the first sailing has been a very special moment for the entire team,” he noted.

“The next few months of sailing and development with our race boat will be some of the most important in this America’s Cup. We’ll do a month of intensive testing here in Auckland then we will suspend the test programme and move to Bermuda where we will resume our training until racing starts, on 26 May,” added Ashby.

On the water in Auckland. Credit: Hamish Hooper/ Emirates Team New Zealand

Dalton said that in the 30-year history of Emirates Team New Zealand, it has always been “at the forefront of international sailing.”

“From its beginning with Plastic Fantastic in 1987 to the introduction of foils in San Francisco the team has always reshaped the America’s Cup and the boat we are christening today is introducing revolutionary concepts once again,” said Dalton.

“I wish to thank the sponsors and the official suppliers that have believed once again in our challenge, but I also want to congratulate all the team, and in particular shore and design teams, who have worked relentlessly for months, allowing us to comply with the deadlines we had set,” he added.

New Zealand in numbers

Boat weight: 2332-2432 kg
Optical fibres: 60 metres
Hull length: 49,2 feet
Height of wing above water: 25 metres
Top speed: +46 knots
Crew members: 6
Average crew weight: 87.5kg
Emirates Team New Zealand’s members: 90

15 February 2017

After more than 85,000 man hours, ORACLE TEAM USA has revealed its new America’s Cup Class boat, 17.

Speaking at the unveiling of the foiling catamaran the team will race this summer in Bermuda, skipper Jimmy Spithill said: “This is the boat we’re racing to win the America’s Cup.”

The new America’s Cup Class boats are foiling, wingsailed catamarans, 15 meters in length and capable of reaching speeds approaching 100 km/h.

In addition they are extremely manoeuvrable, making them ideal match racing platforms.

“We need to get this boat out on the water and put the hours in getting it ready to race,” said Spithill.

“The long days will continue,” he added.

The team will continue testing and developing the catamaran and this won’t stop until the final race of the America’s Cup.

ORACLE TEAM USA hope 17 will give them their third America’s Cup win. Credit: Peter Hurley/America’s Cup

“Many of the major design decisions have been made and have been built in already to what you see tonight,” said the design coordinator for ORACLE TEAM USA, Scott Ferguson.

“But the refinement and optimisation process never stops. We know there is still speed to be found between now and 26 May  when racing begins in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and that’s our focus for the coming weeks,” he added.

More than 15 designers and 50 boat-builders have contributed to the design and build of 17.

Team partners like Airbus, BMW, Parker and Yanmar have provided technical expertise and support.

17. Credit: BMW/Carlo Borlenghi

The chief operating officer of ORACLE TEAM USA, Grant Simmer said the unveiling of 17 was a major milestone “in our campaign to win the America’s Cup for a third time”.

“These boats are highly-engineered, with complex systems, and built to perform under extreme conditions,” he said.

“It’s a great achievement by our designers, builders and engineers to get us to this point where the race yacht gets handed over to the sailors,” stressed Simmer.

Spithill, who attended the launch along with his 14-strong sailing team, described 17 as an “incredible racing machine”.

“I’m really proud of this team and what we’ve achieved so far,” he said.

“I’d like to thank the design team, the engineering team, the shore support, and our full boat-building team, including the guys who couldn’t be here,” added Spithill.

7 February 2017

Britain has never won the America’s Cup in its 166-year history.

But Sir Ben Ainslie and his Land Rover BAR team are hoping to change that….and Rita is the name of their secret weapon.

The R1 race boat was unveiled at the team’s base in Bermuda yesterday afternoon (7 February 2017).

It was christened by Sir Ben’s wife, Lady Georgie Ainslie and daughter Bellatrix.

The LandRover BAR race yacht, Rita, is launched in Bermuda. Credit: Lloyd Images

The choice of the boat’s name is significant. Sir Ben has been naming his boats Rita throughout his career.

Watch an interview with Sir Ben below

Commenting on the launch, Sir Ben said: “It’s a great moment to see our race boat Rita hit the water in Bermuda.”

“The launch represents the sum of all the team’s efforts to bring the America’s Cup home, and we’re delighted to get her in the water here in Bermuda,” he continued.

“We’re a start-up team, and we had to build not just the boat but the design and engineering team, the facilities and the processes to get to this point today,” explained Sir Ben.

The Land Rover BAR team with Rita. Credit: Lloyd Images

“There are just a few short months before the racing starts at the end of May, and we will be working very hard now on the final development and testing of this boat to make sure we are ready for the racing,” stressed Sir Ben.

BAR shared the engineering skills used by Jaguar Land Rover to create its newest models.

Aerodynamic, self-learning car, artificial intelligence and virtual-modelling technologies are all helping the boat to go faster.

The director of research at Jaguar Land Rover, Tony Harper, said their partnership with Land Rover BAR has enabled the engineers to up-skill and practice new methods in different environments and platforms.

“This process of two-way engineering and our wider STEM programme across the business has enabled us to develop, learn and provide our capabilities to the BAR team,” he explained.

“We developed industry-first aerodynamic testing to support the wingsail design which you can see on the final boat here today,” continued Harper.

“From the success of this project, and with our knowledge of analysis and construction of light-weight vehicles, we have also supported the structural design of the daggerboards – the surfboard-style structure underneath the boat that allow it to fly and keep it stable when out of the water,” he stated.

Each light-weight daggerboard needs to bear 2,400kg, the equivalent of a new Land Rover Discovery, so their job on the boat is crucial.

“It has been an incredible campaign to be involved in as a British automotive brand. We are extremely proud to be supporting Sir Ben Ainslie’s entry into this legendary race,” added Harper.

The CEO of Land Rover BAR, Martin Whitmarsh, said Jaguar Land Rover’s input to the final boat design had been “hugely significant” for the team.

The America’s Cup has always been a sailing and design race and the boats have developed from ropes and winches to more technical machines which will fly out of the water at up to 60mph,” he said.

“This complex design requires the latest engineering skill and insight, allowing automotive brands to make a significant impact in the design race – very much like in F1,” explained Whitmarsh.

Land Rover BAR have less than four months to make design tweaks and for the sailors to train on the water in Bermuda.

The America’s Cup begins on 26 May 2017 with the first round of qualifiers.

The winner will be crowned at the end of June.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to watch the event live in Bermuda and more on TV.

19 December 2016

Land Rover BAR’s opening race of the 35th America’s Cup campaign will be against fellow challenger Artemis Racing from Sweden.

The race will take place on Friday, 26 May 2017.

The full event schedule for the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017 has been confirmed, outlining the calendar of five weeks of sailing action, starting on 26 May and finishing on or around 27 June 2017.

All the 35th America’s Cup races will take place on the waters of Bermuda’s Great Sound.

The racing format of the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda features all six America’s Cup teams competing in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers, the round robin match racing that kicks off the 35th America’s Cup.

In these opening two rounds, Land Rover BAR will race every other team twice battling for the right to advance to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs (only the top four advance), which starts on 4 June.

Credit: Alex Palmer

The current Defender, ORACLE TEAM USA, then moves straight into the America’s Cup Match, in which it will take on the winner of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

The teams finishing first and second in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series will carry two and one points respectively into the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers in 2017.

The top four challengers from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers will split into two semi-finals and this second stage of the 2017 competition will run from 4 June until 12 June, with the winners taking part in a finals competition to determine which team will take on the Defender in the America’s Cup Match.

Also at stake in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers is a bonus point for the America’s Cup Match.

If the team that wins the Qualifiers (whether Defender or a challenger) also advances to the match, it will start with a one-point advantage.

Also running over these dates is the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup and the return of the AC45 foiling race catamarans currently being campaigned by the America’s Cup teams in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

In Bermuda 2017 the AC45’s will be crewed by up to 16 teams of the next generation of sailing superstars, with the Land Rover BAR Academy representing Britain.

6 December 2016

With the America’s Cup World Series over, Land Rover BAR have now starting moving their sailing operations from Portsmouth to Bermuda.

The first two shipments of boats and equipment have left the base, an award-winning building at Camber Docks in Old Portsmouth.

The new sailing and hospitality facility located in Bermuda’s Royal Navy Dockyard has been under construction since mid-summer.

Ben Ainslie’s dachshund, Ginger, checks out the team’s dock in Bermuda. Credit: Alex Palmer

The team have already arrived in Bermuda, and have started training under the Caribbean sunshine.

About 50% of the team will move to Bermuda, but many of them will be on rotation from Portsmouth, which will remain the core of the operation and the team’s home.

A ‘Virtual Chase Boat’ has been built  to allow engineers and performance analysts to monitor all the sailing in Bermuda from the Dell EMC Mission Control in Portsmouth.

BT has built the data channel that allows the 190 sensors and four video cameras to report in real time from the America’s Cup race course on the Great Sound, Bermuda all the way back to Portsmouth.

Once there, the performance analysis is supported with tools developed with help from Land Rover.

Team Land Rover BAR. Credit: Jack Abel Smith

In addition to the team members in Bermuda, 54 family members will be moving full time, including six babies and 24 children.

The team’s engineering manager, Richard Hopkirk, said the next few months are crucial.

“The next few months of sailing and development with our race boat will be some of the most important in this America’s Cup,” he said.

“And while the design and engineering teams will be split, we’ve used communications technology to our advantage to ensure that the team in Portsmouth will be an integral part of the onwards development programme,” continued Hopkirk.

“It’s an exciting new way of operating in the America’s Cup, and is closer to the F1 model than what’s been done in the Cup before,” he added.

The move to Bermuda involves three shipments, including one R1 race boat, one T3 test boat, a fully equipped gym, a crane and 42 containers full of kit!

Meanwhile, tickets for the 35th America’s Cup will go on sale on 9 December 2016.

The battle will take place from 26 May 2017, withe the final expected to take place on or around the 27 June.

There are a range of ticket options which give spectators access to a variety of areas including:

The America’s Cup Village;
Grandstand seats, offering unrivalled views of the stadium-style action as it unfolds on Bermuda’s Great Sound;
Official Spectator Boats, enabling America’s Cup fans who want to be on the water to enjoy a front row position right on the edge of the racecourse;
Longtail Lounge hospitality, one of the best VIP experiences in Bermuda, providing relaxed views of the Great Sound in a perfect hospitality setting;
Goslings Dark ‘n Stormy Island Bar, promising a lively atmosphere, delicious buffet lunches and fantastic views of the finish line;
Private Boat Registration, giving boat owners the chance to enjoy all the 35th America’s Cup action from the comfort of their own vessels, right next to the racecourse itself.

Tickets are limited to six tickets per day, per person but multiple days may be purchased.

The post America’s Cup: First look at New York Yacht Club’s test monohull – video appeared first on YBW.

After months of working on it, America’s Cup winners Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa have unveiled the new design for the team’s new AC75 foiling monohull racing yacht.

Emirates Team New Zealand states on their website that “the goal has been to design a class that will be both challenging and demanding to sail, whilst rewarding the top level of skill for the crews. The hope is that this concept could become the future of racing and could even influence the design of cruising monohulls beyond the America’s Cup.”

The new AC75 yacht has been conceived to combine extremely high-performance sailing with safety: the new yacht in fact can right itself in the event of a capsize. The twin canting T-foils, which are ballasted to provide righting-moment when sailing, also provide roll stability at low speed.

“The normal sailing mode sees the leeward foil lowered to provide lift and enable foiling, with the windward foil raised out of the water to maximise the lever-arm of the ballast and reduce drag. In pre-starts and through manoeuvres, both foils can be lowered to provide extra lift and roll control, also useful in rougher sea conditions and providing a wider window for racing.” states Emirates Team New Zealand. 

Some of the technology of recent America’s Cup multihulls, such as the power and control of rigid wing sails, has not been transferable to other sailing classes. However, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa’s design team are looking into new technology for the AC75, with the requirement that the rig need not be craned in and out each day. This innovation could be applied to different types of yachts, making it more sustainable for the future. The teams are currently working on this new concept and will release details with the AC75 Class Rule before 31 March , 2018.

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The post Video: America’s Cup – Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa unveil new foiling monohull concept appeared first on YBW.

Following the announcement that the 36th America’s Cup will take place in monohulls, Land Rover BAR has decided to enter the 52 Super Series 2018.

Th British team have joined with the Langley Holdings’ Gladiator sailing programme, which is led by Tony Langley.

Sir Ben Ainslie will lead his team aboard Langley Holdings’ Gladiator TP52 in one of the world’s leading high performance monohull race series.

Land Rover BAR’s skipper said the series will will open Land Rover BAR’s challenge for the 36th America’s Cup.

“The return to monohull racing for the America’s Cup means that the 52 Super Series will be great racing for our sailing team,” said Sir Ben.

“We are delighted to be working with Tony Langley, he is one of the biggest supporters of British sailing and this will give us a unique opportunity to return to the subtleties of monohull sailing at an extremely high level,” he continued.

Land Rover BAR believe time spent racing on Gladiator TP52 will help them prepare for the 36th America’s Cup

“This allows not just our sailing team, but also our design and performance teams to start developing our tools and methodology as we begin our 36th America’s Cup campaign.” added Sir Ben.

Last month, Emirates Team New Zealand confirmed that their defence of the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland will take place in monohull boats, and not the multihulls of the last two editions.

The full details of the new boats are expected to be unveiled on 31 March 2018, and they will not be available to race next season.

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In the meantime, the Challenger teams will look to develop their monohull sailing skills, which are significantly different to those required for the foiling catamarans raced in the 35th America’s Cup.

Tony Langley will continue at the helm of Gladiator, a role he has maintained since 2012.

The team tied the latest event in Mahon this month, scoring equal points to the 2017 Series champions Azzurra, only losing out on the regatta victory after the tie-breaker.

Land Rover BAR have already said that they will contest the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland, after reaching the challenger semi-finals for the 35th Cup in Bermuda this summer.

The post Gearing up for the return of the monohull: Land Rover BAR to take part in the 52 Super Series appeared first on YBW.

26 June 

Emirates Team New Zealand have won the 35th America’s Cup.

Peter Burling and his men started the race against ORACLE TEAM USA strongly again holding a 26 second lead at the third gate in Race 9. It went swimmingly from there with Emirates looking confident and being fast, increasing their lead to 34 seconds at the fourth mark.

Jimmy Spithill’s ORACLE TEAM USA managed to catch up a little, but Emirates Team New Zealand crossed the finishing line for the final time in the 35th America’s Cup 55 seconds ahead of the US team.

Emirates Team New Zealand were certainly very strong during the final stage of the 35th America’s Cup, winning eight races to ORACLE TEAM USA’s one race win. They’ve won the America’s Cup 7-1.

Emirates Team New Zealand are now the 36th America’s Cup Defender.

“We’re blown away but what we’ve achieved out there today”, commented Peter Burling, who at 26 is the youngest helmsman to win the Cup in its 166 years history ,”for ourselves…for myself, it’s just sinking in…to be here in Bermuda and be part of an incredibly special team, and bringing the trophy back home, it’s something that I think I’ll remember for the rest of my life. ”

ORACLE TEAM USA, Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR and Artemis Racing all took to Twitter to congratulate Emirates:

Watch the post race the press conference below 

25 June

Emirates Team New Zealand won both America’s Cup races against ORACLE TEAM USA today, Sunday 25 June.

Peter Burling’s team showed great technique and speed again today in Bermuda whilst ORACLE TEAM USA had a slower start in Race 8, the second of the day, and were later given a penalty for sailing through the boundary.

The Kiwis are now leading with 6-1 and only need one point to take the oldest trophy in the sporting world away from the Americans. The next, and potentially final, race is scheduled for tomorrow at 6.12pm UK time.

24 June

America’s Cup Defenders, ORACLE TEAM USA are fighting back.

Jimmy Spithill and his men have won their first race against Emirates Team New Zealand, although there is still a long way to go.

Currently, the Kiwis are 4-1 up – to win the silverware they need to hit the magic number – seven.

At times the racing was exceptionally close. Credit: ©ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

The fifth America’s Cup Match race between the two teams saw ORACLE TEAM USA hampered by two penalties.

Clearly they have spent the last week working and refining their racing catamaran because it was certainly quicker than last weekend.

But in that first race, the Kiwis showed superior tactics, comfortably crossing the finish line ahead.

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But ORACLE TEAM USA were not going to let that throw them.

They took a small but significant landmark, taking an early lead in race six.

It was neck-and-neck, with the USA just slightly ahead until ORACLE decided to jib ahead of Gate 4, allowing Emirates to beat them to the gate.

ORACLE continued to look for any advantage, and at times it was exceptionally close. But, they just managed to do, crossing the finish line to claim their first win of the regatta.

Relief for Jimmy Spithill after his first win of the match. Credit: ©ACEA 2017/Gilles Martin-Raget

As we know from the 2013 America’s Cup, ORACLE TEAM USA are perfectly capable of fighting back and winning…It is certainly going to get interesting from now on!

18 June

Emirates Team New Zealand had another strong day of racing as they won both matches against ORACLE TEAM USA in the 35th America’s Cup.

The Kiwis now have a 3-0 lead over the Americans.

In the fist race of the day ORACLE TEAM USA had a small advantage as they approached the first mark. However a poor jibe by ORACLE TEAM USA caused them to make a small splashdown into the water. Peter Burling and his men seized the opportunity and won by 11 seconds.

Both teams started off strongly in the second race, but it was Emirates Team New Zealand’s speed that saw them winning again, with a minute advantage.

17 June

Game on! Or maybe not quite for the Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA, who were left 0-1 down after the first day of racing in the 35th America’s Cup.

It didn’t start well for Jimmy Spithill and his men – they were handed a two-boat length penalty for crossing the start line early in the first race against Challengers Emirates Team New Zealand.

Many are seeing the 35th America’s Cup Match as a rematch of the 2013 final, when ORACLE TEAM USA performed one of the most amazing comebacks in sport.

On the waters of San Francisco on 18 September 2013, ORACLE were 8-1 down against New Zealand but they fought back, eventually securing a 9-8 victory and the 34th America’s Cup.

Clearly the pressure was on ORACLE skipper Jimmy Spithill today.

ORACLE TEAM USA went into the match with a valuable one point advantage, after winning the Qualifiers. But, they lost it.

Earlier, the two times America’s Cup winner, Spithill, had said: “I think you have two of the best teams in the world going head-to-head in a real heavyweight battle, it’s going to be one hell of a fight.” He wasn’t wrong.

Emirates Team New Zealand took the first match, although it was close at times.

And it was this momentum that the Kiwis held onto, crossing the start line ahead of ORACLE TEAM USA in the second race of the day.

But Jimmy Spithill and his crew were determined to close the gap, and for a while, they fought back.

But, an unsuccessful penalty claim by ORACLE TEAM USA meant that Emirates Team New Zealand stayed ahead, crossing the finish line and securing their second win of the day.

But before anyone gets too excited – remember 2013 – nothing is certain when it comes to the battle between Emirates Team New Zealand and ORACLE TEAM USA.

12 June

Despite the lack of winds which saw the first race abandoned and a further delay of two hours, the America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs Finals went ahead today with Emirates Team New Zealand winning against Artemis Racing in the first race. As the Kiwis only needed one point to get to five, it was all over for the Swedes as Burling’s men became the official 35th America’s Cup Challenger.

Artemis had a slight advantage at the start, but by Gate 2 Emirates were already leading by 19 seconds.

Peter Burling’s team were incredibly fast and reached the finishing line first, winning that coveted one point they needed to become the America’s Cup Challenger and face ORACLE TEAM USA.

Peter Burling commented immediately after crossing the line to victory: “We feel like we’re in great shape to take on Oracle now.

“Artemis has been an amazing partner. They’ve pushed us incredibly hard… they’ve put us in good shape for the Cup.”

He continued: “We’re here to bring the Cup back to New Zealand and that hasn’t changed. We’ve gone through a lot of adversity… We’re super-excited to take on Oracle.”

The Kiwis tweeted:

Whilst surely disappointed, Artemis Racing graciously congratulated their opponents with a tweet:

Emirates will now face the Defender on Saturday, 17 June.

11 June

Emirates Team New Zealand had another strong America’s Cup day as they won two races against Artemis Racing and are again at the top of the leaderboard with 4 points, whilst the Swedes have 2.

Artemis started strong and won the first race of the Challenger Playoff Final, but Emirates won the second and third race of the day.

Artemis had to retire from the second race due to control system issue.

The two teams will face each other again tomorrow when the first to accrue 5 points will go through to the match with Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA.

10 June

It wasn’t Artemis Racing’s day as the Swedes and Emirates Team New Zealand battled it out for the right to Challenge ORACLE TEAM USA for the 35th America’s Cup.

Artemis helmsman Nathan Outteridge went man overboard during the third race, seriously hampering the team’s efforts.

Outteridge suffered no injuries as a result of his dunk in the ocean – just frustration when the Kiwis crossed the line.

Currently, Emirates Team New Zealand are 2-1 up in the finals.

It was a tense three races, with Artemis Racing showing great tactics – crossing the start line first in every race.

But the Kiwis recovered quickly and in race one crossed the finish line a full 47 seconds ahead of the Swedes.

Artemis was punished in that race by a particularly poor tack and a penalty when they strayed off the course.

The second race saw fierce competition, with both teams foiling for virtually the entire race.

But it was Artemis who showed winning tactics and crossed the finish line to make it all square.

The third race of the day was incredibly tight, with Emirates pushing hard to close the gap on Artemis.

It was neck-and-neck until disaster for the Swedes when their helmsman, Nathan Outteridge, went overboard.

There was quick thinking by Artemis grinder Luke Parkinson, who took over the helm.

9 June

With already four points, they only needed one more to secure their place in the America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs Final and today Nathan Outteridge’s Artemis Racing did just that and won their race against SoftBank Team Japan.

The Swedes will now face Emirates Team New Zealand on Saturday, before one of the two teams will accrue enough points to face Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA in a bid to win the 35th America’s Cup.

The America’s Cup tweeted immediately after the match with SoftBank Team Japan:

And Artemis tweeted:

Artemis will now race Emirates on Saturday 10 June, in what will sure be a very exciting match.

8 June

Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR‘s America’s Cup dream is over after losing two races against Emirates Team New Zealand.

The two teams raced each other thrice today, with the Kiwis, back in top form after a dramatic capsize in high winds that seriously damaged their boat on Tuesday June 6, winning the first and third race against the British team and thus securing a 5-2 win.

Ainslie admitted that the weather caused Land Rover Bar issues, saying: “We were struggling in some conditions, certainly in the light airs. We were able to address that to an extent. Ultimately we didn’t quite get there in time but it was not through lack of effort.”

However, true to form, Ben Ainslie and his men are already concentrating on winning the next America’s Cup and tweeted:

Sir Ben Ainslie commented: “I was really proud of the way the team sailed today and the way we approached the whole series. The whole team, the designers, the shore team, the sailing team, everyone worked really hard to get us competitive. We did that throughout the competition. A huge thank you to everyone back home supporting us. We will be back next time and we will be stronger.”

Artemis Racing won all three races against SoftBank Team Japan semifinal with 4-3. They will race on Friday, 9 June, to decide who will progress to the Challenger Finals.

Emirates Team New Zealand will not be racing on Friday, but will face tomorrow’s winning team on Saturday to the Finals.

6 June

First it was not enough wind, then too much.

24-knots is the limit for these America’s Cup catamarans, and plenty of wind and squalls resulted in challenging conditions for Land Rover BAR, Emirates Team New Zealand, Artmeis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan on day two of the America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals.

Damage caused to New Zealand. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

The final race of the day between Sir Ben Ainslie and his team and Emirates Team New Zealand was the most dramatic, with the Kiwis pitchpoling before they even reached the start line of their fourth race against the Brits.

Thankfully everyone was accounted for, and Emirates, once righted, headed to the dock to assess the damage. Land Rover BAR took the much needed point.

Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling later said: “As a group of New Zealanders we are incredibly resilient and we will get the boat back to 100 per cent.”

Luckily everyone was accounted for. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

It was not the result Land Rover BAR wanted. They are currently 1-3 against Emirates after wing damage resulted in the Brits retiring from their first semi-final race and then forfeiting their second race yesterday.

Not unsurprisingly, Sir Ben Ainslie and his men were keen to prove their worth today.

They had a lightening quick start against Emirates on their first race today.

Challenging conditions for the teams. Credit: ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

But, a nose dive halted Land Rover BAR‘s momentum and a slight mistake at Gate 4 allowed Emirates Team New Zealand to take the lead which they never lost, although it was neck and neck for much of the race.

It was an incredible win for the Kiwis, who were against the clock to replace a damaged wing just minutes before the race. They reached speeds of 45-knots over the course.

As Sir Ben later noted – these were the “toughest racing conditions” he had seen.

Commenting on the Kiwi’s capsize, Sir Ben said: “The most important thing is that everyone is okay on Emirates Team New Zealand after their capsize. I think all four teams out there showed great seamanship to deal with these boats in these conditions. It was absolutely full on.We look forward to seeing them back on the race course.”

“It was unbelievable racing in gusts up to 27-28 knots. Certainly, in thirty years of racing boats, it was the most full-on, exhilarating moment I’ve ever had. It was incredible out there,” he continued.
“I liken it to skiing on ice. No holds barred; if you start to slow up and play it safe that’s when it is worse. When you sail these boats fast it is very rewarding, but in conditions like today sometimes it is not possible. Days like today it is the ultimate team sport,” added Sir Ben.

Land Rover BAR have their work cut out tomorrow – they need to win four of the remaining five races to make it into the finals of the Qualifiers which will decide who are the Challengers for the 35th America’s Cup.

Today was certainly SoftBank Team Japan‘s day, winning both their races against Artemis Racing.

At times it was heart-in-your-mouth viewing.

In the first race today, both boats sustained damage.

Softbank Team Japan are now 3-1 against Artemis Racing. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

At one point, Artemis Racing appeared to throw a loose piece of their boat overboard, and helmsman Nathan Otteridge showed impressive handling, righting the boat after it lifted to one side while rounding Gate 3.

However, SoftBank remained out in front, despite minimal damage to their boat’s fairing – with Hikari hitting speeds of 40 knots.

Dean Barker and his men crossed the finish line first, with Artemis eventually retiring from the race.

Their second encounter of the day was also exciting.

SoftBank had another strong start against Artemis, but a penalty against the Swedes on leg 2 seriously hampered them.

Artemis’ tactician Iain Percy appeared furious with the decision – some might say rightly so considering they were penalised in Round Robin One – a decision the America’s Cup Chief Umpire later admitted was a mistake

SoftBank Team Japan went on to win, giving them a 3-1 lead of Artemis

5 June

Wing damage resulted in Land Rover BAR being forced to retire from their first race in the America’s Cup  Challenger Playoffs semi-finals.

Frustratingly for Sir Ben Ainslie and his team, R1 suffered wing damage just after the race began, resulting in the catamaran dropping off its foils.

It meant they were forced to retire from the first race, allowing Emirates Team New Zealand to take the point.

Tweeting just minutes after the race ended, Sir Ben Ainslie wrote: “We are assessing the damage and looking to change to the spare wing”.

Under America’s Cup rules, the team has until the time of the next race to fix the problem.

The team doing everything possible in limited time to be ready for their second race against Emirates Team New Zealand

But, disappointedly this wasn’t to be, and Land Rover BAR announced they were withdrawing from their second match against Emirates.

The Kiwis went out onto the course, and crossed the start line, treating the race as a training lap to take the point. It means they are now two points ahead of Land Rover BAR.

Commenting on the situation, Sir Ben said: “It’s a really tough situation for the team. Rounding the first leeward gate, we had a breakage in our wing control system, which meant we had to retire from the race.”

“It is an extremely bitter pill for the whole team to swallow given that this is the first two races of the playoffs against ETNZ, but it’s something we can deal with and we have the team to turn it around and come back fighting tomorrow,” he added.

Land Rover BAR wing trimmer, Paul Campbell-James, gave this assessment.

“We were absolutely level pegging with the New Zealand team. Giles (Scott) had chosen the best way to go round the mark and we were executing a normal mark rounding – as we’ve done over a 1000 times in this campaign – and the wing just went pop,” he said.

“It went from our normal setting to having max power on the wing camber with no way of controlling it. We are absolutely gutted.”

“We will see the damage when we take the wing apart. It’s just one of those things in sport and tomorrow is another day, fantastic forecast and we are going to absolutely sock it to them,” promised Campbell-James.

It was initially neck and neck in the first race between Artemis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan, before America’s Cup veteran Dean Barker and his men took the lead over the Swedes on leg three.

But Artemis Racing fought back hard, cutting SoftBank’s initial 21 second lead.

However, it wasn’t to be, and with SoftBank foiling for the majority of the race, they took the first race of the series.

Artemis Racing and SoftBank Japan had two close races. Credit: © ACEA 2017 / Photo Ricardo Pinto

There was controversy in the second race between the Swedes and Japan, with Artemis calling for a penalty in the pre-start which was refused.

SoftBank made it across the starting line first and continued to hold on initially before Artemis demonstrated better tactics and crossed the finish line first.

This leaves the two teams at 1-1.

4 June

Sir Ben Ainslie and the rest of Land Rover BAR will have to wait 24 hours before they face perhaps their biggest rivals,  Emirates Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals.

A lack of wind meant racing on day one of the semi-finals had to be postponed.

Yesterday, Emirate Team New Zealand‘s helmsman, Peter Burling, announced that the Kiwis had decided to face Land Rover BAR in the semi-finals.

At the time, Sir Ben admitted it would be “a real battle” for his team, but added “we are up for it and looking forward to it”.

Artemis Racing take on SoftBank Team Japan.

Both of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals will be decided by a first to five points race format, with the winners of each Semi-Final then facing each other in the Finals of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

The Playoffs will decide which Challenger will go on to compete against ORACLE TEAM USA in the 35th America’s Cup Match.

Meanwhile during the Dock Out show ahead of racing today, Land Rover BAR, along with the rest of the America’s Cup Village, stood in silence with their heads bowed to remember the victims of the London terror attack last night.

Seven people died and dozens of others were injured after a white van was driven into pedestrians on London Bridge last night, before three men, armed with knives, attacked people in Borough Market. The three men were later shot dead by police.

Sir Ben Ainslie, Land Rover BAR and the rest of the America’s Cup Village remember the victims of the London terror attack. Credit: ACEA 2017/Gilles Martin-Raget

After hearing about the attack, Sir Ben Ainslie took to Twitter saying: “Hard to take the news of more attacks in London. Thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved”.

3 June

The final day of the America’s Cup Qualifiers and the first match was perhaps the one all eyes were focused on when Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA took on Emirates Team New Zealand.

It was a tough race for the Kiwis, who after winning both their matches yesterday were top of the table.

But Jimmy Spithill and his men showed why they have won the Auld Mug twice, out manoeuvring Emirates Team New Zealand in an impressive display.

From the moment the USA took the start, they were out in front, and won the race 29-seconds ahead.

It means ORACLE TEAM USA has won the Qualifiers, allowing them to take a valuable one point advantage into the 35th America’s Cup Match.

“What a great effort from the team, the entire team,” Spithill said after the race against Emirates Team New Zealand.

“We had a little issue before the race, but it didn’t phase the boys. Great training for us to get a high pressure race like that and come out on top. Two for two against the Kiwis… we have a lot of work to do, but great to see the boys pull it out under pressure,” he added.

It was also a fantastic day for Land Rover BAR with a solid start in their race against SoftBank Team Japan.

Land Rover BAR’s tactics gave them their first win of the day against SoftBank Team Japan. Credit: ACEA 2017/Gilles Martin-Raget

But the Brits were not having it all their own way, with Dean Barker and his team recovering to close the gap to make it a tense and exciting race to the finish line.

Land Rover BAR won against SoftBank Team Japan

However, Land Rover BAR showed winning tactics, beating SoftBank by 13 seconds.

The last race of the Qualifiers saw former team mates, Sir Ben Ainslie and Jimmy Spithill go head-to-head once more.

ORACLE TEAM USA crossed the start line ahead and remained so throughout the match, although the Brits certainly didn’t give up the chase.

But it wasn’t enough and the Americans crossed the finish line 36 seconds ahead. It means Land Rover BAR are currently third in the standings on six points.

Earlier, Artemis Racing comfortably won against Groupama Team France, who racked up penalties during the match. The America’s Cup dream is now over for the French side.

Groupama Team France thanks Bermuda for its hospitality. Credit: © ACEA 2017 / Photo Ricardo Pinto

Tomorrow will see the start of the the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals.

Emirates Team New Zealand have chosen Land Rover BAR to face in the semi-finals, while Artemis Racing take on SoftBank Team Japan.

Both of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals will be decided by a first to five points race format, with the winners of each Semi-Final then facing each other in the Finals of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

The Playoffs will decide which Challenger will go on to compete against ORACLE TEAM USA in the 35th America’s Cup Match.

In deciding on Land Rover BAR, Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling said: “We believe with the forecasts over the coming week that it represents our best chance of progressing through.”

In response, Land Rover BAR helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie said his team is prepared for the challenge ahead.

“It is going to be a close race, but to win the America’s Cup you have to beat all the teams,” said Sir Ben.

“Emirates Team New Zealand have certainly proved through this qualifying round to be sailing really well. They are very fast and so for us it will be a real battle,” he continued.

“However, we are up for it and looking forward to it,” added Sir Ben.

2 June

Many thought that America’s Cup Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA would sail through (excuse the pun) easily in their race against Artemis Racing, but the Swedes have come back with a bang and unexpectedly beat the Americans by 24 seconds in their first race of the day, and later bagged another victory against SoftBank Team Japan.

ORACLE suffered a broken rudder before the race began but had it repaired ahead of the match.

Skipper Nathan Outteridge’s Artemis were clearly in high spirits after the win and they celebrated by posting this tweet which  shows their delight at today’s results.

Emirates Team New Zealand also had a victorious day, winning the match against SoftBank and later celebrating another success against Groupama Team France.

These wins now put the Kiwis at the top of the America’s Cup leaderboard with 8 points, one more than Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA.

Emirates Team New Zealand will face ORACLE TEAM USA tomorrow, Saturday 3 June, in what is going to be a nail-biting match. However, thanks to today’s win, the Kiwis have secured their place in the semi-finals, meaning they will be able to select their opponents then.

Sadly Groupama Team France have now been eliminated from the competition. Whilst they are still racing against Artemis on Saturday, their points from the America’s Cup World Series are not enough to beat the other teams ahead of the challengers finals.

1 June 

It was a bittersweet day for Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR as they lost a race against Emirates Team New Zealand but later managed to come out victorious against Groupama Team France, albeit by a small margin, in the 35th America’s Cup. Ainslie and his men will now go through to the playoff round.

It was not a successful day for Franck Cammas’s team, who had earlier lost the match against SoftBank Team Japan. Both teams struggled at first due to the light winds that saw yesterday’s racing postponed to today, but SoftBank, led by Dean Barker, crossed the finishing line first, and bagged that much coveted point.

However despite the Japanese team’s successful first race against the French, they later lost against Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA, who are currently ranking at the top with seven points.

30 May

After a disappointing match on day three of the competition, Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR came back with a bang and won a second race against Artemis Racing in the 35th America’s Cup.

The British team arrived at the finishing line with a 30 second advantage and won the race. After a disappointing result in Round Robin 1, with just one win under their belt, Land Rover BAR hit the highest speed of the competition so far – just over 43 knots – and managed to keep ahead of the Swedish team.
The win sees Land Rover BAR move four points in the standing, two full points ahead of Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan and Groupama Team France.

Artemis Racing raced against Emirates Team New Zealand earlier in race 1, but despite a 20 seconds lead, Emirates recovered and crossed the finishing line by three seconds.

ORACLE TEAM USA won the second race of the day and beat Franck Cammas’s Groupama Team France, finishing the race one minute and 56 seconds ahead of the French team.

Groupama Team France were already seven seconds behind crossing the start line and were not helped by a penalty for crossing the boundary mark on leg two.

29 May

It is proving to be a challenging America’s Cup for Sir Ben Ainslie and his team.

At the end of the Round Robin 1 matches on day three of the competition, Land Rover BAR has won just one race. All the team have now sailed each other once.

But, Sir Ben, is not throwing in the towel yet.

Land Rover BAR now lie in third place on three points, including the two points carried over from team’s win in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series (ACWS).

ORACLE TEAM USA top the leaderboard with five from four wins and one-point from the ACWS, with Emirates Team New Zealand on four points. Behind them, the rest of the fleet are all square on two points.

“I think it’s proven to be a really close competition which is great for the America’s Cup,” commented Sir Ben.

“Clearly we are not the fastest upwind in some conditions and we need to improve that. It’s the nature of the America’s Cup, it’s the nature of the sport.”

“We are in a fight with some of these teams to avoid this final elimination spot and keep ourselves in the competition – but that’s the challenge,” continued the British skipper.

“The team will regroup tonight and come back strong. The competition has already demonstrated that any team can win any race.”

“We have the talent and the determination, and with five points still available this is a long way from over,” stressed Sir Ben.

There was also disappointment for Artemis Racing in their match against Emirates Team New Zealand.

The Swedish team were forced to drop two-boat lengths behind their rivals after being handed a penalty for crossing the start fractionally early.

Controversial match between Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand. Credit: © ACEA 2017/ Ricardo Pinto

Artemis managed to catch up with the Kiwis and then swapped the lead with them multiple times throughout the race, but at the final mark there was a dramatic penalty called against the Swedes for not leaving the Kiwis enough room.

Artemis Racing continued towards the finish line, but had to take their penalty, allowing Emirates Team New Zealand to take the win at the line.

Skipper Nathan Outteridge, team manager and tactician Iain Percy and their crew looked devastated at the end of the race and finished day three on two points, equal with Groupama Team France and SoftBank Team Japan.

“We are still shocked by what happened,” commented Outteridge.

Having won only one race in the previous two days, the pressure was on for SoftBank Team Japan, who clinched a welcome win int he final race of day three, beating Groupama Team France.

Grinding hard – the men of SoftBank Team Japan. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Gilles Martin-Raget

Skipper Dean Barker and his men go out of the start box 10 knots faster then Groupama Team France, giving the Japanese a comfortable win – crossing the finish line a whole two minutes and 34 seconds ahead of their rivals.

“It isn’t a feeling of relief for me because I didn’t feel under pressure,” said helmsman Dean Barker after the race. “The best thing for me is that we executed a great race and claimed the victory,” he added.

28 May

Variable winds across Bermuda’s Great Sound tested all six teams during day two of the America’s Cup.

While Land Rover BAR managed to get back on the water after their dramatic clash with SoftBank Team Japan on the opening day, they suffered back-to-back defeats, losing against ORACLE TEAM USA and Emirates Team New Zealand.

British skipper Sir Ben Ainslie had this assessment of their performance, as well as praising his shore team for getting R1 back on the water.

“It was an incredible effort from the shore team who worked tirelessly through the night to repair the damage and get us ready for today,” said Ainslie. “It is just a shame we couldn’t repay them in the races today.”

“We just didn’t get it right and made too many mistakes but we’ll learn from it and move on,” he added. “We’ll look at doing a bit more work on the boat tonight but I don’t think the damage affected our performance too much at all.”

Land Rover BAR’s shore team worked through the night to get R1 back on the water. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

Meanwhile, strong performances from Emirates Team New Zealand and ORACLE TEAM USA is perhaps giving some indication as to the teams to watch.

To date, ORACLE TEAM USA has only lost one match so far – with the Swedes Artemis Racing claiming victory over the Defenders. It means ORACLE is now top of the table.

Having endured mixed fortunes on the opening day, in which they won one race and lost the other, Emirates Team New Zealand started day two in spectacular fashion with a high-quality display to beat SoftBank Team Japan by 33 seconds in race 9.

A disappointing day for Land Rover BAR. Credit: © ACEA 2017 / Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

However, they did not have it all their own way as they had to battle back from behind against Dean Barker’s team as SoftBank Team Japan gained the better momentum out of the start box, leading going into mark 1.

The Japanese team lost some of that momentum with a nosedive going into the third gate but they managed to recover brilliantly to build a 13 second advantage at gate 4.

However, the tides turned on the fifth leg, as Emirates Team New Zealand demonstrated the full speed of their pedal-powered grinding systems. Tacking and jibing incredibly smoothly, the Kiwis chased down their rivals before overhauling them heading for gate 5.

Pedal power helps Emirates Team New Zealand romp home to victory. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

In the latter stages of the race they found themselves 11 seconds ahead, before racing for the finish line to claim a second victory in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers.

The variable winds over the Great Sound racecourse came to the fore in race 10, as Artemis Racing prevailed in a topsy-turvy battle against ORACLE TEAM USA.

Having suffered a somewhat shock defeat to bottom of the table Groupama Team France in the first race of the day, the Swedish team enjoyed a flying start and maintained a healthy lead for the first three gates.

However, from leg five, the unpredictable nature of the conditions played a major role in the remainder of the race and the lead switched hands multiple times between the two teams.

But by the sixth and final gate, Artemis Racing enjoyed the advantage in the changing conditions finding themselves ahead before racing for the line and taking a welcome 39-second win.

“Today showed just how hard racing can be out there,” said Artemis Racing helmsman Nathan Outteridge. “We had too many mistakes against the French team in our first race and made life hard for ourselves.”

Shock win for Groupama Team France against Artemis Racing. Credit: © ACEA 2017/Gilles Martin-Raget

“However, I’m extremely proud of the way the whole team regrouped from that defeat and fixed everything in an almost perfect race against ORACLE TEAM USA,” he added.

The America’s Cup Qualifiers continue later today with Land Rover BAR facing Groupama Team France, Artemis Racing v Emirates Team New Zealand and SoftBank Team Japan against Groupama Team France.

Land Rover BAR, who are currently tied with Emirates Team New Zealand, will be hoping for win to keep them at the upper end of the standings.

Day two rankings

27 May

Land Rover BAR’s first day of racing at the America’s Cup Qualifiers was full of drama after a clash between the British team and SoftBank Team Japan left R1 with a “sizeable hole” in its port hull.

The crash happened during the final line-up towards the start line of the Round Robin match between the two teams.

According to Land Rover BAR, “SoftBank Team Japan’s skipper, Dean Barker moved into an overlapping position on the leeward side of Land Rover BAR, a move that resulted in a dramatic clash as the two boats came together, the hull of Land Rover BAR being punctured by the pedestal on the Japanese team.”

Land Rover BAR bailing out to keep R1 afloat. Credit: Harry Kh/Land Rover BAR

The penalty went against Land Rover BAR, who continued racing nursing the damaged boat around the course, with SoftBank Team Japan taking the win.

The foiling conditions helped keep Land Rover BAR afloat, at the end of the race the team foiled into Bermuda’s Historic Dockyard to a waiting crane, with the whole team furiously bailing to keep R1 afloat.

“The boat is pretty badly damaged, with a sizeable hole in the port hull,” noted Land Rover BAR skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie.

The moment of impact. Credit: Lloyd Images

“It was a great effort by the team to get the boat around the course in the state that it was in. We were better off foiling with the hull out of the water, and we tried to keep the boat on the foils right into the harbour.”

“We were lucky we did, by the time we got to the dock she was on her way down. It was all hands to the pumps and bailing. It’s been about 30 years since I was bailing out Optimist dinghies, and it wasn’t something I was expecting to do,” continued the 40-year-old.

“The collision was unfortunate, we had a sideways slip just as Dean came in and got the leeward overlap. No one wants that, certainly in our position as we picked up a penalty and the damage. Thankfully, the most important thing is that no one got hurt.”

The hole in the port hull. Credit: Lloyd Images

“It’s now down to the shore team to work their magic and fix the damage and try to get us back out for racing tomorrow. They are great guys, they’ve got us through some pretty rough patches in the past and hopefully they can do it again,” added Sir Ben.

Softbank Team Japan has already confirmed they will be back racing on day two.

“Obviously it was a bit of a ‘love tap’ as Ben calls it in the start of the second race”, said SoftBank Team Japan skipper, Dean Barker making reference to Land Rover BAR’s earlier collision with Emirates Team New Zealand.

“It was a little bit of a hairy moment seeing their leeward hull landing on our boat. Both boats have damage, it hit all the guys but doesn’t seem anyone is too badly injured. The nature of the racing is it’s getting closer and harder and it’s all part of the game. Ben wasn’t intending to hit us,” continued Barker.

“We saw an ugly big black hull coming towards the side of the boat. One of our grinder pedestal handles went through the side of their boat. There was a bit of damage to us but we can sort it for tomorrow,” he added.

However, it was not all bad for Land Rover BAR on day one of racing – the team has finally found their speed and earlier won their match against Artemis Racing.

Day 1 rankings

This means that Land Rover BAR are currently joint leaders with Oracle Team USA on three points, with Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand and SoftBank Team Japan all on one point.

Land Rover BAR took the race from Artemis Racing. Credit: Harry Kh/Land Rover BAR

Commenting on the race against Artemis, Sir Ben said: “We had a fantastic race against Artemis Racing. Going into this competition, I think a lot of seasoned observers had written us off, saying that we didn’t have a chance.”

“We came out today when it counts and beat a really, really good team. So I can be proud of our team, and where we have come from and the potential we have to move forwards, this is hugely positive for the team,” he added.

Report by Katy Stickland and Stef Bottinelli

The post America’s Cup Latest: They’ve done it! Emirates Team New Zealand win the 35th America’s Cup appeared first on YBW.

22 June

Britain’s youth America’s Cup sailors from the Land Rover BAR Academy have been crowned the 2017 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Champions in Bermuda.

The British entry completed 12 races against 12 other nations on Bermuda’s Great Sound to take the title – six initial qualifying races and six in the finals – and finished the event with 50 points.

This was just two points ahead of second placed New Zealand Sailing Team (48 points), who were the defending champions, and eight points ahead of Switzerland’s Team Tilt (42 points).

The victory came down to a nail biting finale, and the final race of the event, but the team showed their determination by never giving up to come back from difficult situations on the race course.

Land Rover BAR team principal and skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie, said he couldn’t be prouder of the Land Rover BAR Academy.

“All their hard work, commitment and dedication over the past 18 months has really come together on the water here in Bermuda,” he said.

“Today was incredibly tense, it is a strong fleet, but I have been really impressed by the team’s constant on-board communication, how they kept their cool under pressure and really delivered on the boat handling during the tricky conditions,” added Sir Ben

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Land Rover BAR launched the Land Rover BAR Academy in January 2016, to support talented young British sailors, and create a structured pathway into the America’s Cup.

21-year-old Neil Hunter was an initial example of success, promoted from junior to senior team, becoming not only the youngest sailor to compete in the America’s Cup but the only sailor to compete in both competitions.

The British entry was also made up of some of the country’s top sailing talent, aged between 19-24 years old and led by skipper Rob Bunce.

23-year-old strategist, Annabel Vose, was the only female crew member to compete in the Youth Cup.

The team competed in the same AC45F foiling catamaran that Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR raced – and won – the 2015-16 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in.

Holding their trophy high, the Land Rover BAR Academy celebrate their win. Credit: Harry Kh

Skipper Rob Bunce explained the difficulties for the team initially.

“The strategy was to do the same as yesterday and get off the start line clear. If we got three results in the top four we knew we could come away with a good result but unfortunately, we had an OCS and a penalty in the first start,” he said.

“I can’t put into words how much effort everyone put in on the race course. The amount of places we managed to gain in all the races is amazing. In the last race of the day, we knew to finish first overall we could only have one boat in between us and New Zealand and most of the way round there were two or three boats in between.”

“We saw at that last gate, Artemis Youth Racing (Sweden) and SVB Team Germany (Germany) had a battle on and one of them got hooked on the mark and the other suffered a penalty and that was our opportunity to get in front of Team Tilt (SUI) and hold out Spanish Impulse (ESP) to have the reach of our lives! To win here in Bermuda is amazing,” stated Bunce.

Strategist, Annabel Vose added: “Going into the final race we knew that New Zealand Sailing Team were our main opposition so we just wanted to finish within the top three, which we had been doing most the of the day and throughout the regatta.”

“We wanted to go in and have a simple start, keep it clean and race our own race. I don’t know if the pressure got to us a little bit but we didn’t pull off the start that we wanted,” continued the 23-year-old.

“Although we didn’t have our best today today, I think all the effort we’ve put in throughout the year just meant that we could pull together as a team and get the results that we needed to take the win and we are absolutely thrilled by the result!”

The Land Rover BAR Academy have little time to celebrate their victory and will now be heading to Maderia to compete in the Extreme Sailing Series Act 3 from 29 June – 2 July.

21 June

Land Rover BAR Academy are going into the final day of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup with a seven point advantage.

Their nearest rivals is the second placed Team Tilt from Switzerland and Team France Jeune, both joint on 21 points.

They started the day in fine form with two second placed finishes before ending in style with a dominating win in the third and final race of the day.

Commenting after racing yesterday (20 June), helmsman, Chris Taylor, said:  “It’s been a great day for us, to get out there and put in a really solid performance. We worked hard on our starts and making sure we rounded the first mark in the top three.”

“You can’t win the event in the first day, but you can lose it, so we are happy to have placed three top scores. However, tomorrow’s another day and tonight we will debrief as a team and come out fighting hard to stay on top,” he added.

Six races are scheduled across the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup finals, with three further races – in breezier conditions forecast – from 1400 local time on 21 June.

Red Bull Youth America’s Cup quad:

Skipper: Rob Bunce
Helm: Chris Taylor
Strategist: Annabel Vose
Main Trimmer: Elliot Hanson
Jib Trimmer: Sam Batten
Bow: Neil Hunter
Substitute: Adam Kay

14 June

Land Rover BAR Academy are through to the final of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.

They competed in Pool B during the Qualifier events on Monday and yesterday (12-13 June)

The squad, who won two of the matches on day one of the qualifier, came second overall in their pool, with the New Zealand Sailing Team coming first, Spanish Impulse Team coming third and Team BDA from Bermuda coming fourth.

The teams, all comprising of sailors aged 19-24, raced the foiling, wingsail AC45F used throughout the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series 2015 and 2016.

Land Rover BAR Academy in action. Credit: Lloyd Images

Yesterday, Land Rover BAR posted consecutive second place finishes in the second and third races of the day.

The team’s tactician, Annabel Vose, who is the only woman competing in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, said the crew were tested by the tricky, light west-south-west winds.

“We are incredibly happy to qualify for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Finals. As a strategist, it was hard to pick the big shifts but it was great to perform and get the results we needed on such a tricky race course,” she said.

Trimmer Sam Batten added: “It was important to use all of our experience to sail the best VMG course and keep speed around the whole race. The points were so tight, it just shows how close this fleet is and any mistake is punished. We have a few days now to go away and debrief these qualifiers and come back stronger.”

The finals – between eight teams – are due to be raced on 20-21 June.

Tomorrow and Friday (15-16 June), the six teams in Pool A will be competing for a place in the final.

They are:
Artemis Youth Racing(Sweden)
Team France Jeune (France)
Kaijin Team Japan (Japan)
Youth Vikings Denmark (Denmark)
Team Tilt (Switzerland)
SVB Team Germany (Germany)

12 May

With an average age of just 22, seven talented, aspiring America’s Cup sailors have been chosen to represent Great Britain this summer.

The team, which includes Land Rover BAR’s first female sailor Annabel Vose, will be competing against 11 other national youth teams in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup (RBYAC).

It will be taking place in Bermuda during the 35^th America’s Cup.

The team. Credit: Harry Kh

Inspired by four time Olympic gold medallist and 34th America’s Cup winner, Ben Ainslie, the mission of the Land Rover BAR Academy is to find and support talented young British sailors into professional sailing and the America’s Cup.

The programme is run by Land Rover BAR, and supported by Land Rover, Castrol, Aberdeen Asset Management and Henri Lloyd.

Did you know? 10 interesting facts about the America’s Cup

The goal is to create a career pathway for British sailors into the America’s Cup, and build a British team that can win the RBYAC.

The Land Rover BAR Academy have already competed in the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series, coming fifth in the professional stadium racing series, supported and mentored by the Land Rover BAR Senior Sailing team.

They recently placed 2nd in the Act 2 of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series in Qingdao, China.

One remarkable story is the progress of Neil Hunter who – after just ten months with the Land Rover BAR Academy – was promoted onto the senior sailing team.

Hunter has now been in Bermuda for the last five months, training with the team ahead of the America’s Cup.

The selected squad for Bermuda is Rob Bunce (skipper), Chris Taylor, Annabel Vose, Elliot Hansen, Sam Batten, Adam Kay and Neil Hunter.

Skipper Rob Bunce commented: “We’ve got a talented group of sailors from a variety of backgrounds and I think we’ve done a really good job of building our relationships and sailing skills together over the last year.”

The squad recently completed a seven-day training camp in Bermuda, which saw the return of Neil Hunter to the team.

America’s Cup: full event schedule 

The training camp was the perfect learning curve for the Land Rover BAR Academy, providing their first sail of the AC45F and the opportunity to immerse themselves with the senior squad and see first-hand the hard work, commitment and skill it takes to become a full-time America’s Cup sailor.

Hunter said that being part of the senior team in Bermuda was “an awesome learning experience” and had been “invaluable to the progression of my sailing career”.

“Seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes has really opened my eyes up to the world that is the America’s Cup. I hope to put that to good use for the Land Rover BAR Academy,” he added.

The teams, all comprising of sailors aged 19-24, will race the foiling, wingsail AC45F used throughout the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series 2015 and 2016.

The Land Rover BAR Academy will compete in Pool B during the Qualifier events over the two-day race period on 12-13 June.

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Final Series will take place on 20-21 June.

The post America’s Cup: Land Rover BAR Academy win the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup appeared first on YBW.

The final Land Rover BAR Roadshow of 2017 had two special guests – with students getting the chance to meet HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, and take part in a question and answer session with Sir Ben Ainslie live from Bermuda, where the America’s Cup is taking place.

The event, which was run by Land Rover BAR’s official charity, the 1851 Trust, was held at the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre in London earlier today (16 June).

Around 122 students from East London schools took part in the multi-activity STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), sustainability and sailing day.

HRH Duchess of Cambridge catches up with Sir Ben Ainslie in Bermuda. Credit: onEdition

The young people were shown examples of technology and careers involved in Land Rover BAR’s challenge for the 35th America’s Cup.

The aim of the roadshow, which is supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, is to inspire a new generation of sailors, designers and engineers.

HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, who is a patron of the 1851 Trust, joined a group workshop on ocean health, learning about the impact of single-use plastics.

They explored the implications of plastic pollution on marine life and the wider environmental impact.

HRH Duchess of Cambridge chats to two of the roadshow students. Credit: onEdition

The Duchess also joined a group taking part in the treasure hunt for codes where students answered questions on renewable energy sources and why aluminium honeycomb is used to build the Land Rover BAR race boat, R1.

After the activities, the Duchess of Cambridge spoke directly to Sir Ben Ainslie via a video link to Bermuda, commenting “seeing some of the activities today with the 1851 Trust and what the kids have been doing here, is really exciting, as well as seeing some of the different elements behind the racing.”

Sir Ben then answered questions from the pupils, who were keen to learn more about the campaign and career opportunities within Land Rover BAR.

Continued below…

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“It’s fantastic to see so many young people, not just getting out on the water, but seeing the diverse range of career opportunities there are to young people opting to take STEM subjects,” said the Land Rover BAR skipper, who is also a patron of the 1851 Trust.

“We truly hope to inspire not just the next generation of America’s Cup sailors, but engineers and innovators alike,” added Sir Ben.

HRH Duchess of Cambridge talks to students. Credit: onEdition

One of the students, 13-year-old Kashim Khan from Bow School highlighted his favourite part of the day.

“I really liked the sailing, it was good fun and we worked together in a team, it was my first time sailing but I would definitely do it again,” he said.

Pupils also learnt about the carbon cycle in a lesson taken from BT STEM Crew, a unique online learning resource developed by the 1851 Trust.

HRH Duchess of Cambridge took part in activities with students. Credit: onEdition

The mobile ‘Tech Deck’ Education Centre allowed pupils to have a go at generating power using a grinder and using 360-degree virtual reality goggles to experience what it is like to be an America’s Cup sailor.

The head of design technology at Bow School, Amy Johnson, summed up the day saying: “I think it’s a really inspiring day for students, but also for us teachers to come to another location and see STEM subjects applied through activities.”

HRH Duchess of Cambridge with the staff and pupils who attended the roadshow. Credit: onEdition

“There was a nice mixture of activities and it was interesting learning how a sport like sailing can translate into a variety of careers,” she added.

The young people also enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding and other activities to gain a taste of Bermudan island life.

After the roadshow, teachers will be able to access additional related learning resources on BT STEM Crew to build on pupils’ enthusiasm during the America’s Cup in Bermuda.

The roadshow has visited a total of five locations around the UK, allowing the 1851 Trust to engage with and inspire over 1,200 young people.

The post Duchess of Cambridge and Sir Ben Ainslie make appearance at sailing roadshow appeared first on YBW.

Defending Champions ORACLE TEAM USA will be looking at making history by becoming the second only team to win three consecutive America’s Cup matches.
Sir Ben Ainslie’s team will fight it out in qualifying starting on the 27 May to become top Challenger and face the Defending Champions on the 17 June in the final match hosted by Louis Vuitton.

Sir Ben was a part of the ORACLE TEAM USA team in their 34th America’s Cup win in 2013. Ainslie was only brought into the fold as tactician midway through the final series with ORACLE in dire straits, but became the first British sailor to be on board a winning boat in the America’s Cup since Charlie Barr in 1903. After rescuing an 8-1 deficit to win 9-8, it was considered one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time.

On the crystal clear waters and beautiful sands of Bermuda, Sir Ben Ainslie will be keen to repeat this feat for Land Rover BAR in what is shaping up to be a particularly exciting event this June.

Click here to read the schedule of events

How to watch on TV

The UK and Ireland Live Host Broadcaster for the 2015-2017 America’s Cup will be BT Sport. Broadcast times will be updated on the America’s Cup website  (www.americascup.com/en/home.html).

Award-winning TV presenter Clare Balding and sailing legend Shirley Robertson and Stevie Morrison will present the coverage from 27 May.

BT Sport will be showing 23 days of exclusively live coverage from Bermuda until the finale on Tuesday 27 June.

The first 12 days of live America’s Cup racing from the Qualifiers and the Challenge Play-off semi-finals will also be free-to-view.

It will also show highlights from the Challenger Final and the Match broadcast on BT’s Freeview channel, BT Sport Showcase HD channel 115 and Virgin channel 548.

The BBC will be broadcasting race highlights from 11 June, starting with the highlights of 10 June racing on BBC Two between 12pm-1pm and repeated 7pm-8pm on BBC Red Button.

BBC race highlight schedule:

Monday, 12 June: BBC Two from 2pm-3pm.

Tuesday, 13 June: BBC Two from 1.45pm-2.45pm and repeated at 8pm-9pm on BBC Red Button.

Friday, 16 June:  BBC Two from 1pm-2pm and repeated from 8pm-9pm on BBC Red Button

Saturday, 17 June: BBC Two from 12pm-1pm

Sunday, 18 June: BBC Two from 12pm to 1pm

Monday, 19 June: BBC Red Button from 6pm-7pm and on BBC Two from 11.14pm-12.15am

Sunday, 25 June: BBC Two from 1pm-2pm

Monday, 26 June: BBC Two from 1pm-2pm (only if the series has not already been decided on previous days).

The BBC will schedule further coverage if the series hasn’t been decided by the 26 June at a time to be confirmed

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On your phone

There is a pay-to-play America’s Cup app which carries additional content including on board camera footage, video extras, social chat features and behind-the-scenes storytelling.

Download the app here: (www.americascup.com/en/app.html)

On the water

If you are attending the event in Bermuda, take advantage of the Spectator Boat experience and watch all the action from the water. Tickets costs $150-$200 per person and children under 13 get a discounted price.

At the race village

Where better to watch the event than at the race village in Bermuda itself. With views of the Great Sound and the finish line, there’s plenty of shows, food options, and sailor signing sessions.

Tickets are available for each day of racing on the America’s Cup website (https://tickets.americascup.com/Event/2383/Event-Village/) and prices range from between $10-$50.

At London On-Water:

If you are visiting London On-Water 2017, on 8-11 June, don’t miss the chance to follow the race.
The event will host the ‘America’s Cup LIVE’, where you can watch the teams battling it out on a big outdoor screen on Marble Quay at St Katharine Docks.

The post How to follow the 35th America’s Cup this May and June appeared first on YBW.

The limits of sailing are being pushed more and more as Land Rover BAR, Emirates Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan battle it out to Challenge for the 35th America’s Cup.

With the four remaining potential Challengers racing in gusts of up to 28-knots in Bermuda, the fans are being treated to some incredible, and sometimes scary, sailing, as well as some great examples of seamanship by the teams.

As Land Rover BAR’s skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie noted, foiling in these conditions is the most “full-on, exhilarating moment” in 30 years of racing boats.

“I liken it to skiing on ice. No holds barred; if you start to slow up and play it safe that’s when it is worse. When you sail these boats fast it is very rewarding, but in conditions like today sometimes it is not possible. Days like today it is the ultimate team sport,” said Sir Ben.

YBW rounds up the most dramatic moments of the 35th America’s Cup so far:

Emirates Team New Zealand pitchpoles during race 4 of the Qualifiers Semi-finals against Land Rover BAR

Luckily, no one was hurt after Emirates Team New Zealand pitchpoled while approaching the start line of race 4 of the Qualifiers semi-finals against Land Rover BAR.

But, their boat was severely damaged. Fans are still waiting to find out if it will be fixed in time for race 5 against the Brits, which is scheduled for today (8 June).

Dramatic collision on day one of the America’s Cup as Land Rover BAR crash into SoftBank Team Japan

Not the best of starts for Sir Ben Ainslie and his team on day one of the America’s Cup.

The team smashed into SoftBank Team Japan as they headed towards the start line.

Luckily no-one was seriously injured, although some of SoftBank’s crew came off with bruises.

R1 was left with a sizeable hole in its port hull, and at one point, the team were bailing out the catamaran.

Land Rover BAR’s shore team spent the night repairing the boat and they were back out in Bermuda’s Great Sound the next day.

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“Love tap”: Land Rover BAR crash into Emirates Team New Zealand during practice racing 

The collision with SoftBank Team Japan is not the only crash Land Rover BAR has been involved in.

During practice racing, the Brits hit Emirates Team New Zealand, with the Kiwis coming off worse.

Emirates had to spend four days off the water fixing damage to their leeward hull, while Land Rover BAR had to repair their bow.

Sir Ben later went on to describe the crash as a “love tap” on Twitter.

Artemis Racing beat the Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA

Showing exceptional skill and tactics, Artemis Racing showed ORACLE TEAM USA that it wouldn’t all be ‘plain sailing’ in the Round Robin matches at the start of the America’s Cup.

Unexpectedly, the Swedes whipped the Defenders on the penultimate day of the Round Robin races, beating the Americans by 24 seconds in the first race of the day.

They later went on to secure another victory over SoftBank Team Japan.

The post America’s Cup: Watch as the teams push the limits of sailing in these spectacular videos appeared first on YBW.

Fans of the America’s Cup have certainly not been disappointed so far!

From the very start of the racing in Bermuda, there has been action and drama.

The second day of the Challenger semi-finals proved no exception – with Emirates Team New Zealand violently pitchpoling before the start of their race against Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR.

See pictures of the capsize and other dramatic moments of the America’s Cup so far.

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6 June

A broken wingsail gave Sir Ben Ainslie no choice but to pull out of both America’s Cup races with Emirates Team New Zealand yesterday, Monday 5 June, but with two more races against the Kiwis taking place today in Bermuda, and two tomorrow, Land Rover BAR are feeling confident. The team posted this tweet on their Twitter account:

Land Rover BAR will have to bag five points in total to progress through to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs Final.

However Sir Ben Ainslie seems confident that there could be a turn around. After the damaged wing yesterday he said:

“It’s a really tough situation for the team. Rounding the first leeward gate, we had a breakage in our wing control system, which meant we had to retire from the race. It is an extremely bitter pill for the whole team to swallow given that this is the first two races of the playoffs against ETNZ, but it’s something we can deal with and we have the team to turn it around and come back fighting tomorrow.”

Fans have been posting messages on social media to cheer the British team ahead of tonight, in what will be two nail-biting races.

Make sure to read tonight’s results on YBW and follow us on Twitter @YBW.

2 June 

Light winds and technical failure combined to give Sir Ben Ainslie little choice but to pull Land Rover BAR out of their first race of Day 6 qualifiers against Emirates Team New Zealand in the 35th America’s Cup.

The ‘borderline foiling conditions’ left Sir Ben fighting to regain seed after the daggerboard malfunctioned.

“We knew we had a big race ahead with Groupama Team France, so we pulled out against Emirates Team New Zealand as we wanted to give our engineers and technicians a chance to get in and fix the issues; which they did as always and got us through that final race,” the five-time Olympic medallist said afterwards.

“We had a nice start against Emirates Team New Zealand but they were coming over us with pace. We had to gybe away and we had a system failure which meant that we couldn’t control our daggerboard properly; the new daggerboard coming onto the port gybe. We stuffed the bows in and wiped out all the speed and in those light winds when you do that it’s so painful trying to re-build the speed and get going again.

“In all fairness to Team New Zealand they were going really well in those conditions. I think they would have probably found a way past us anyway, but it would have been nice if we could have made life a little bit harder for them.”

Their decision was the right one though as Sir Ben Ainslie and his crew went on to win their second race of the day against Groupama Team France – but only by a small margin.

01/06/2017 – Bermuda (BDA) – 35th America’s Cup Bermuda 2017 – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers, Day 6

Both teams were again held back by the light winds, however, the Brits were victorious and Land Rover BAR are now through to the playoff round with five points in total.

“It was so close against France. Super light, on and off the foils and plenty of overtakes,” said Land Rover BAR Tactician and Grinder Giles Scott.

“My role is to take an overlook of the race course and find more wind. It’s great to come through races like that and it was a great race. Certainly one we didn’t want to lose.”

Yachting World Editor Elaine Bunting added: “Winds were so light these were borderline foiling conditions, and neither the French nor British teams could manage this consistently.

“In their first races against SoftBank Team Japan and Emirates Team New Zealand respectively, the French and British teams were often unable to carry out foiling gybes and sank into displacement mode, thus opening up huge gaps.

“Big differences in the foils were obvious to even the most inexpert eyes. Emirates Team New Zealand’s foils were much longer than Land Rover BARs, the tips perhaps 2.5 to 3m in length and shaped with an elbow. ‘Pirelli slicks’, the Kiwi team called them.

“Despite the light breeze, Peter Burling hurled his boat through gybes on foils, and the teamwork on board looked poised as ever. But the race also made for strange viewing, both boats sailing low angles in an effort to get up on foils and on occasions going in virtually opposite directions – very disorientating for us conventional sailors.”

Continues below…

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Ranking in third place after Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA and Emirates Team New Zealand, everything is still up for grabs for Sir Ben Ainslie and his team.

The Brits won’t be racing today, Friday 2 June, but on Saturday 3 June, they have two matches: the first against SoftBank Team Japan and the second will see them racing against Jimmy Spithill’s Defenders, ORACLE TEAM USA.

“Clearly our performance wasn’t good enough in those conditions,” said Sir Ben Ainslie, “But tomorrow we aren’t scheduled to race so we’ll be working on our speed in those lighter conditions, the setup of the boat, the wing, the rudders and a lot you can play with to increase the performance.”

Will Land Rover BAR be successful in their quest to #BringTheCupHome? Only time (and races) will tell.

The post America’s Cup: “We are all fixed and ready to fly” – Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR confident ahead of tonight’s races against Emirates appeared first on YBW.

The America’s Cup is one of the most exciting races in the world. Fast, furious, exciting and spectacular,  but behind the scenes life is far from glamourous. Teams put in hours in training, on water and on land,  and things don’t always go as expected….

Be part of the action..fly aboard the America’s Cup Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA’s cat in this spectacular 360° video via USA Today!

Oracle Team USA capsizes

It happens to the best too! Capsizing is part of the training but luckily nobody was hurt when Oracle Team USA did just that. Take a look at how swiftly they upturn the boat. They make it look easy, but it takes years of training!

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SoftBank Team Japan in training

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Groupama Team France nail the foiling tack

Watch Groupama Team France doing an impressing foiling tack!

The post Watch: America’s Cup – thrills and spills as the teams push themselves to the limits appeared first on YBW.

It is no easy task…being a skipper of an America’s Cup team.

Not only do they have to motivate their team constantly, but they also carry the weight of expectation on their shoulders…sometimes of a nation.

The six skippers preparing to start battle on Saturday (27 May) have decades of sailing experience between them.

Some, like ORACLE TEAM USA’s Jimmy Spithill know what it’s like to taste the sweetness of success – having won both the 2010 and 2013 America’s Cup.

Others, such as SoftBank Team Japan’s Dean Barker have had to deal with defeat, having got to the finals for New Zealand in 2003, 2007 and 2013 and walked away empty handed (although he did win for Team New Zealand in 2000).

Sir Ben Ainslie for Land Rover BAR certainly carries the hopes of Britain, which has never won the trophy in the 166 year history of the America’s Cup.

The pressure will certainly be mounting for all of the six skippers….and the next five weeks will decide who can keep their cool.

Meet the skippers

Sir Ben Ainslie: Land Rover BAR

Credit: Lloyd Images

Nationality: British

Age: 40

Potted Sailing History: After becoming the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie turned his attention to the America’s Cup. After competing with Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) on the 2012/13 America’s Cup World Series, he joined ORACLE TEAM USA. Initially a tactician, he was on-board for their defence of the 34th Cup in 2013, helping the American team win the event, 9-8, against Emirates Team New Zealand. In doing so, he became the first British sailor to be on board a winning boat in the America’s Cup since Charlie Barr in 1903. As well his Olympic titles, he is am 11 times World Champion, nine times European Champion and Four times World Sailor of the Year.

Quirky fact: His favourite TV comedy is the British classic, Only Fools and Horses

Glenn Ashby: Emirates Team New Zealand

Credit © ACEA 2016/Photo Ricardo Pinto

Nationality: Australian

Age: 39

Potted Sailing History: Glenn Ashby is a multiple world multihull world champion. He won 10 Australian A Class championships and 15 world championships across three multihull classes before focusing on the America’s Cup. Initially, he was head coach for BMW Oracle Racing for the team’s successful defeat of Alinghi in Valencia in 2010, before moving to Emirates New Zealand. Unlike the other skippers, Ashby is a wing trimmer and not the helmsman on board, an honour he has handed to Olympic Gold medallist Peter Burling. Ashby has also raced and coached in the Extreme 40 class.

Quirky fact: When not racing, Glenn Ashby runs a sailmaking business with his wife, Mel.

Dean Barker: Softbank Team Japan

Credit: © ACEA 2016/Photo Ricardo Pinto

Nationality: New Zealander

Age: 44

Potted Sailing History: Arguably the skipper with the most America’s Cup experience, this will be Dean Barker’s 6th America’s Cup. He made his debut at 26, before taking Team New Zealand to America’s Cup victory in 2000, helming in the deciding race to beat the Italian racing syndicate, Prada Challenge, which challenged for the title. Barker has also raced in the 2003, 2007 and 2013 America’s Cup finals before moving over to SoftBank Team Japan. Barker has also won the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Trials in 2007 and 2013. In 2014, he was ISAF World Match Racing Champion.

Quirky fact: Dean Barker loves motor racing, competing in a 240-horsepowered Ford. He also admits to being a “bad golfer”.

Continued below…

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Franck Cammas: Groupama Team France

Credit: ©ACEA 2016/Ricardo Pinto

Nationality: French

Age: 44

Potted Sailing History: One of France’s greatest sailors, Franck Cammas has vast experience in offshore, inshore, mono and multihull sailing and first shot to prominence after winning the Solitaire du Figaro at the age of 24.
Cammas has many sailing wins and records to his name including seven time World Champion on the 60 ft trimaran Groupama 2, winning the round the world Jules Verne Trophy and Route de Rhum and winner of the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race as skipper of Groupama.
He has also been involved in previous America’s Cup campaigns, helping to train BMW Oracle Racing, which won in 2010 in Valencia.

Quirky fact: Franck Cammas is a classically trained pianist

Nathan Outteridge: Artemis Racing

Credit: © ACEA 2017/Photo Austin Wong

Nationality: Australian

Age: 31

Potted Sailing History: Like Sir Ben Ainslie, Nathan Outteridge turned his attention to the America’s Cup after taking Olympic gold. He won the 49er class alongside teammate Iain Jensen at London 2012, and went on to join Artemis Racing as a helmsman to challenge for the 34th America’s Cup. He has multiple 49er class World Championship titles under his belt (2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012) and won the International Moth Class World title in 2011 and 2014.

Quirky fact: Nathan Outteridge will never cut his hair during racing events for fear it will affect his performance

Jimmy Spithill: ORACLE TEAM USA

Credit: © ACEA 2016/Photo Ricardo Pinto

Nationality: Australian

Age: 37

Potted sailing history: The youngest skipper to ever win the America’s Cup, Jimmy Spithill has taken the honour twice, leading his team to one of the greatest comebacks in 2013. With ORACLE TEAM USA down 8-1, he inspired his team to win eight consecutive wins to take the 2013 title 9-8 against Emirates Team New Zealand. For this, he was named the 2014 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. He is a multiple world champion in both fleet and match racing and in 2015, won line honours onboard the super-maxi Comanche in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
His goal now is to lead ORACLE TEAM USA to three consecutive America’s Cup wins.

Quirky fact: Jimmy Spithill likes to pick or catch his own food. Ideally it should be organic.

The post America’s Cup: meet the six skippers appeared first on YBW.

26 May

The America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA), and America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM), have announced that the strong winds in Bermuda has meant that day one of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and the Official Opening Ceremony of the 35th America’s Cup has had to be postponed.

Forecasts indicate that winds may gust over 30 knots during the afternoon and evening, so with the safety of the sailors and spectators as the key priority, ACEA and ACRM have decided to postpone today’s events.

With significantly improved weather conditions tomorrow (27 May), the four races scheduled to take place  today will now be added to the race schedules for the subsequent days.

The six helmsman at the pre-racing press conference. Credit: ACEA 2017/Ricardo Pinto

The Official Opening Ceremony of the 35th America’s Cup will now take place tomorrow, starting at 8.30pm, following the three time Grammy award winning entertainer Wyclef Jean’s performance on the Main Stage in the America’s Cup Village at 5.15pm.

Find out how the helmsman rate their chances in the competition below

The America’s Cup Village will close at 9.30pm. Gates open at 11.30am on Saturday, with racing due to take place between 2pm and 5pm.

The CEO of the ACEA, Sir Russell Coutts, said the decision had been made with safety in mind.

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“We are obviously disappointed that the strong winds mean we have had to postpone day one of the 35th America’s Cup. This is clearly a decision we have not taken lightly and appreciate the inconvenience caused to the sellout crowd,” he said.

“Our primary concern however, is always safety for everyone involved in the America’s Cup. We are adding an hour to the race window on both Saturday and Sunday to run extra races with the aim of getting back on schedule,” continued Sir Russell.

“There are still tickets available at the weekend, although not in all categories, so we are hoping Friday’s ticket holders will still get the chance to enjoy what should be an incredible opening weekend,” he added.

All ticket holders for the America’s Cup Village, Grandstand seats, Goslings Dark ‘n Stormy Island Bar and Longtail Lounge and Official Spectator Boat ticket holders will automatically receive a refund within the next ten days as a result of the lost day.

Should those ticket holders wish to attend another day, tickets will need to be purchased separately for this day.

25 May

Jimmy Spithill, the skipper and helmsman of the defender of the 35th America’s Cup, ORACLE TEAM USA has said Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan and Emirates Team New Zealand are, to date, the teams to beat in Bermuda.

The six helmsman from the teams gathered for a pre-racing press conference, where they were quizzed by the world’s media.

Meanwhile, there is some doubt as to whether racing will start tomorrow.

On its website, the America’s Cup is warning that strong wind is forecast  – with wind levels gusting above 30 knots in the afternoon.

However, the wind may drop within the race raceable limits of 6-24 knots later in the evening.

Organisers say the safety of both the sailors and spectators is always paramount, and a final decision will be made by 9pm GMT once updated forecasts have been asserssed.

If racing is cancelled tomorrow, the America’s Cup Village will also be closed. Racing would then be rescheduled for Saturday afternoon and the Opening Ceremony would also be delayed.

America’s Cup Event Authority CEO, Russell Coutts, said: “With a sellout crowd for Friday, and huge anticipation for what we are confident will be one of the most competitive America’s Cups ever, rest assured that we are doing everything we can to ensure that the opening day goes ahead.”

“However, if the prudent decision is to postpone the start of the event, then racing will be rescheduled to Saturday, where the weather forecast indicates great racing conditions,” he added.

The post America’s Cup opening day postponed: Sir Ben Ainslie faces 24 hour delay appeared first on YBW.

It is the moment fans of the America’s Cup have been waiting for!

Saturday (27 May) sees the start of the racing for the oldest trophy in international sport, with the first race in the qualifiers between Defender ORACLE TEAM USA and Groupama Team France.

As the excitement builds, the six teams – Land Rover BAR, Groupama Team France, ORACLE TEAM USA, Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan and Emirates Team New Zealand – will be looking for the support of their home countries.

With four days to go, YBW counts down to the start of world class sailing action in Bermuda.

Day 4

Land Rover BAR are asking fans to join the so-called Band of Britain and back them in their quest to #Bri​ngTheCup​Home – a reference to the fact that Britain has never won the America’s Cup since the inaugural race around the Isle of Wight in 1851.

The team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, have launched a limited-edition supporter’s wristband; the ‘Band of Britain‘, priced at £15 – with all monies raised going to the team’s official charity, the 1851 Trust.

Made from plastic recovered from marine and coastal environments, along with a recycled alloy clasp the red and blue, nautically-knotted design, the ‘Band of Britain’ converts waste into fashion and has been created by BIONIC® yarn with the support of the team’s Exclusive Sustainability Partner, 11th Hour Racing.

Earlier, fans of Land Rover BAR were asked to send message of support to the team by using the #BringTheCupHome hashtag on Twitter.

Day 3
With the pressure mounting, the teams won’t be indulging in any of their favourite foods ahead of the races.

The week before it all kicks off is not a week off, but a week where they will still need to follow their ‘diet of champions’ as well as preparing physically and mentally for the weeks of competition ahead.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the teams have been preparing for years for this moment – with massive changes in the preparation for this America’s Cup compared to other.

The move to foiling multihulls and a six-man crew weight limit of 525kg means teams have to constantly power to grind, trim or hoist sails.

There will also, of course, be practice racing. Under guidelines set out by America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM), all teams are permitted to train against each other on Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th May before the competition starts on Friday.

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Day 2

Final preparations are underway before the opening of the America’s Cup Race Village.

Based in Bermuda’s historic Royal Naval Dockyard, it is situated on a nine acre reclamation site, also known as Cross Island. Work on the village began in November 2015.

As well as the village, there will be last minute preparations for the many local and international musicians who will be performing during the course of the America’s Cup.

It has already been announced that former Fugees’ member and three-time Grammy award winning artist, Wyclef Jean will be performing on the Main Stage on Saturday (27 May)

Speaking about his forthcoming appearance as part of the America’s Cup Concert Series this summer, Wyclef said: “I had my first taste of the America’s Cup in Chicago in June 2016 at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event.”

“I went out on the water while they were racing and nothing prepares you for just how fast, and how cool, those boats are. “Now I’m coming to Bermuda where I’ll have the chance to be part of the America’s Cup show on Saturday 27 May and I cannot wait! If you haven’t already, book your tickets now and I’ll see you in the America’s Cup Village.”

Day 1

Today is the day! The America’s Cup Race Village will officially open and spectators can see the first of the racing in Bermuda Great Sound.

The gates open at 3pm Bermudian time (7pm UK time). There will be a display of the America’s Cup Class Yachts on the team base mooring and the Dock Out Show in the village, where fans can get a glimpse of their favourite teams.

At 4.30pm Bermudian time (8.30pm UK time), the teams will make their way out onto the water ahead of the start of the first race half an hour later.

This will be between Defenders ORACLE TEAM USA and Groupama Team France.

Other Round Robin 1 racing on Friday will include Artemis Racing v Softbank Team Japan, Groupama Team France v Emirates Team New Zealand and Land Rover BAR v Artemis Racing.

Racing will finish at 7pm Bermudian time (11pm UK time) before poster signing by the teams.

The official opening ceremony will be held at 8.30pm Bermudian time (12.30am UK time) before the America’s Cup Race village closes two hours later.

The post America’s Cup: countdown to the battle for the ‘Auld Mug’ appeared first on YBW.

22 May

The battle for the 35th America’s Cup starts on Friday.

Yesterday, there was palpable relief for Emirates Team New Zealand, who were back practicing on the Great Sound in Bermuda having finished days of repairs to their damaged catamaran.

The Kiwi team were forced to spend four days off the water following a collision with Land Rover BAR on 16 May during practice racing.

Making repairs to the damaged catamaran

Commenting on the damage at the time, Emirates’ helmsman Peter Burling said: “It went straight in  under the media pod with his windward bow and right down the inside of the leeward hull, so there is a pretty good dent there. You can definitely see if has punctured right into the cockpit right around where my steering wheel is.”

Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton added: “We know Ben well, he is a good guy but frustration is obviously getting to him and the red mist came down and it’s a lot of damage in a time we can’t afford it.”

Land Rover BAR suffered damage to their bow during the collision.

Sir Ben Ainslie accepted responsibility for the crash, putting it down to the unfortunate sides of racing.

The moment of impact

“We had a crash with Team New Zealand in a pre-start which was really unfortunate and it was my fault as helmsman, I’ve been forward in apologising about that,” said Ainslie in a  video on Land Rover BAR’s Facebook.

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“The first thing I did when we got back to base was to call Grant Dalton to offer any support we could give, and to be honest they’ve been great.
“We’ve had plenty of conversations, there’s been a lot of effort from both shore crews and thankfully it doesn’t look like Team New Zealand have lost too much development time out on the water.

“It was unfortunate but it happens in racing. It’s part of the game and you move on,” added Sir Ben.

17 May

With the clock ticking until the start of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand and Land Rover BAR are being forced to make repairs to their cats after a collision during the final week of practice racing.

Having sat out of competitive racing on day one (15 May) of the latest round of practice racing, the Kiwi team enjoyed a promising afternoon, winning races nine and ten, overcoming Land Rover BAR and Groupama Team France respectively.

However, it was the scheduled 12th race, a rematch of their duel with Land Rover BAR, that proved the day’s real talking point after the race was abandoned following a collision between the two boats in the pre-start, which resulted in both teams sustaining damage.

Helmsman of Emirates Team New Zealand, Peter Burling, had secured the favoured leeward end of the line and had shut out Land Rover BAR when the incident happened.

“It was a bit of a shame in the last pre start we had the leeward end of the line pretty locked down, Ben was quite late and just ran straight into the back of us,” explained Burling.

“Just unnecessary a week out from the America’s Cup we are all here to learn and it’s a shame we have a pretty big metre dent now in the back of our nice boat,” he continued.

Explaining the damage to the Kiwi boat, Burling continued: “It went straight in  under the media pod with his windward bow and right down the inside of the leeward hull, so there is a pretty good dent there. You can definitely see if has punctured right into the cockpit right around where my steering wheel is.”

After assessing the damage, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton said: “We know Ben well, he is a good guy but frustration is obviously getting to him and the red mist came down and it’s a lot of damage in a time we can’t afford it.”

Land Rover BAR confirmed via their Twitter page that the incident had caused damage to their bow.

Sir Ben Ainslie tweeted this after the incident

The British team immediately started making repairs with the aim of getting back out on the water for practice racing for day three.

A picture of the damage caused to Land Rover BAR

On its Facebook Page, Land Rover BAR wrote: “During the final practice race pre-start of the day, Land Rover BAR bore away behind Emirates Team New Zealand and clipped their inner leeward hull, sustaining limited damage to our starboard bow section. The team are now all working hard to be back out on the water as soon as possible.”

The post America’s Cup: Emirates Team NZ back on the water following crash with Land Rover BAR appeared first on YBW.

There is just over a week left until the first teams face each other in the fight for the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda.

The competition for the oldest trophy in international sport dates back 166 years.

The ‘Auld Mug’ as the trophy is affectionately known was first awarded in August 1851 by the Royal Yacht Squadron for a race around the Isle of Wight.

This race was won by the gaff schooner America by 18 minutes.

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The trophy was renamed the America’s Cup after the schooner and was donated to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) under the terms of the Deed of Gift, which made the cup available for perpetual international competition.

Since that first competition, there have been massive changes within the competition, most noticeably, the shape and design of the boats.

See the changes, as well as the highlights from 166 years of competition, in our gallery above.

The post America’s Cup in pictures: the most beautiful images of the ‘Auld Mug’ through the years appeared first on YBW.

The 35^th America’s Cup will see almost five weeks of world class sailing action.

The event will start on 26 May, with a Dock Out Show and Pre Race Show Starts from 4.15pm (local time) in the America’s Cup Village in Bermuda before live racing at 5pm (local time).

This will be followed by the official opening ceremony at 8.30pm (local time)

Race One of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers will be a battle between the Defender, ORACLE TEAM USA and Groupama France.

Two time America’s Cup winner, Jimmy Spithill, and his crew will be looking to start their defence of the cup in style against the team led by French superstar Franck Cammas.

Jimmy Spithill believes the 35th America’s Cup will be “one of the hardest, most competitive America’s Cups in its long history”.

The race will be the first time the America’s Cup Class (ACC) yachts and their sailing crews engage in full competitive action.

In the weeks leading up to the first match, the teams have only been able to see their rivals’ performance during the practice sessions on the waters of Bermuda’s Great Sound, where all the America’s Cup racing will be held.

The ACC race yachts are wingsail, cutting-edge catamarans that foil above the water at tremendous speed, designed and created by each of the six America’s Cup teams racing for the oldest trophy in international sport.

All the 35th America’s Cup races will take place on the waters of Bermuda’s Great Sound.

Download the full 35th America’s Cup schedule here.

Five-time America’s Cup winner, Sir Russell Coutts, who is now CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority, said he was looking forward to seeing some “fierce competition” between the teams.

“All the America’s Cup teams now know who they will line up with in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers, allowing them to plan their race strategies for each of their double round robin races,” he said.

“One thing that is certain is that nobody can predict who will come out on top. That uncertainty, especially having seen how all the teams are so closely matched, shows why interest in the America’s Cup is growing so quickly worldwide,” he continued.

All six teams will be vying for the oldest trophy in international sport. Credit: Yasuhiro Chatani/Wikimedia Commons

A range of support events will also be held during the 35th America’s Cup.

These will include the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup which will showcase the best national youth teams from around the world racing in AC45 foiling catamarans, currently taking centre stage in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

“In addition we have the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta and the America’s Cup J Class Regatta, featuring the most spectacular superyachts afloat today and some of the most famous America’s Cup yachts of old, all racing on the turquoise waters of Bermuda,” continued Sir Russell.

“The combination of all these elements add up to why I firmly believe this will be the greatest America’s Cup ever,” added the New Zealand-born sailor.

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Skipper of ORACLE TEAM USA and three-time winner of the America’s Cup, Jimmy Spithill, said the action in Bermuda will be unlike anything seen before.

“The physical and mental demands on the athletes on board have gone up exponentially – the catamarans will be faster than last time, more manoeuvrable, and likely will foil all the way around the race track, given the right conditions,” he said.

“Most importantly, I think the competition is going to be fierce. We have six great teams preparing for racing next year and this is quite possibly shaping up to be one of the hardest, most competitive America’s Cups in its long history of over 165 years of battle,” predicted Spithill.

The racing format of the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda features all six America’s Cup teams competing in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers, the round robin match racing that kicks off the 35th America’s Cup.

35th America’s Cup Bermuda 2017 – America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats practice racing

In these opening two rounds, each competitor races every other team twice, with the challengers battling for the right to advance to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs (only the top four advance), which starts on 4 June, 2017.

The current Defender, ORACLE TEAM USA, then moves straight into the America’s Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton, in which it will take on the winner of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

The teams finishing first and second in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series will carry two and one points respectively into the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers in 2017.

This will put even more pressure on all the competitors to finish the last Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event in November 2016 in Fukuoka, Japan as strongly as possible.

The top four challengers from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers will split into two semi-finals and this second stage of the 2017 competition will run from 4-12 June.

The winners will take part in a finals competition to determine which team will take on ORACLE TEAM USA in the America’s Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton.

Also at stake in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers is a bonus point for the America’s Cup Match.

If the team that wins the Qualifiers (whether Defender or a challenger) also advances to the Match, it will start with a one point advantage.

ORACLE TEAM USA will not compete in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

While the challengers improve through the heat of competition, the Defender will need to prepare on its own for the final showdown and the races for the 35th America’s Cup.

35th America’s Cup Bermuda 2017 – Groupama Team France sailing their America’s Cup Class (ACC) boat

There will then be a break in America’s Cup Class racing between 13-17 June, 2017, where Bermuda will play host to the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta, the qualifying stages of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, and the America’s Cup J Class Regatta.

Finally, on 17 June, 2017, ORACLE TEAM USA will take on the team that has fought its way through and earned its place in the America’s Cup Match.

From 17-27 June, 2017, the two teams will go head to head in a series of races to be first to claim the seven points needed to win the America’s Cup 2017.

There is a short cessation of hostilities from 19-21 June, 2017 when the final stages of the America’s Cup J Class Regatta and the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup finals will take place.

The final of America’s Cup Match begins again on 24 June, 2017.

The post America’s Cup: full event schedule appeared first on YBW.

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When SoftBank Team Japan started foiling-tacking successfully in 2016, the other teams knew they had to catch up and quickly! But it took a few crashes and mishaps before they managed to nail the tack.

The post Watch: America’s Cup – foiling explained appeared first on YBW.

It is not surprising that the adrenalin fuelled, multi-million pound world of yacht racing attracts celebrities.

And we can certainly expect the stars to come out in Bermuda later this month for the 35th America’s Cup.

Recently, Hollywood legend Michael Douglas toured SoftBank Team Japan’s Bermudian base.

Douglas, whose mother is Bermudian, has a home in Bermuda which he shares with Catherine Zeta-Jones and their children.

Known for his passion for golfing, the Hollywood actor got bitten by the yacht racing bug when he saw the 2007 America’s Cup in Valencia.

Star Wars actor Harrison Ford is also an America’s Cup fan.

Harrison Ford is pictured alongside Larry Ellison and Jimmy Spithill. Credit: Badzil/Wikimedia Commons

In August 2009, he threw his support behind BMW ORACLE Racing at an event to introduce the team to the public ahead of the 2010 America’s Cup.

The team, which later became ORACLE TEAM USA, was owned by Larry Ellison and had Jimmy Spithill as helmsman.

BMW ORACLE Racing went on to win the Ould Mug in Valencia in 2010.

From the moment that Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR launched their #BringTheCupHome campaign, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have always shown their support – cheering them on at the America’s Cup World Series, becoming patrons of their charitable work, and even going out on the water to experience the thrill themselves.

Sir Ben and his men have also attracted the attention of Hollywood too.

During the America’s Cup World Series event in New York, Alfie Allen, who plays Theon Greyjoy in the hugely popular TV show ‘Game of Thrones’, Liam Hemsworth from ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘The Avengers’ Mark Ruffalo were all given the chance to be guest racers on the Hudson in May 2016.

Mark Ruffalo said it was a “magical” experience and praised Sir Ben for his “tactical genius”.

Liam Hesmworth, who was in 2016’s ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’, said he was “blown away” and amazed by the co-ordination of the Land Rover BAR team.

Alfie Allen, who is the brother of singer Lily Allen, commented that flying along the Hudson was a “surreal” experience.

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1980s pop royalty and Simon Le Bon has also taken flight on the Solent with Sir Ben and his men.

The lead singer of Duran Duran is no stranger to yacht racing, having competed in the 1995-1986 Whitbread Round the World Race on Drum.

He described the experience as “full on” when he stepped on board Land Rover BAR’s AC45F as a guest racer during the 2015 America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth.

International rugby fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who currently plays for Toulon in France, has also been for a spin with Land Rover BAR.

The Wales and British and Irish Lions international rugby union player said there “were a view nerves around” before he went out on the water, and like many novices, was amazed at the speed of the Land Rover BAR catamaran.

British television and radio presenter, Jake Humphrey, who is currently host of Premier League Football for BT Sport, joked that he had scuppered Land Rover BAR’s training ahead of the America’s Cup World Series match in Gothenburg in 2016.

“Sorry for ruining you training session,” he said, adding, “15 stone of uncoordinated bloke looking like a drunk gazelle at the back of the boat is probably not the ideal preparation for Gothenburg!”

The post America’s Cup: Hollywood and British royalty celebrity fans appeared first on YBW.

Confused about how the points will be allocated during the fight for the 35th America’s Cup? Here is our guide to how the competition will work.

Firstly, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series was the first stage of competition in the 35th America’s Cup.

It began in the summer 2015.

Events were held in Portsmouth, UK, Gothenburg, Sweden, Bermuda, Muscat, Oman, New York City, USA, Chicago, USA, Toulon, France and Fukuoka, Japan.

Featuring all of the America’s Cup teams racing in foiling, one-design AC45F catamarans, the circuit was an early opportunity to put points on the board that carry forward into the next stage of the competition.

Overall ranking position in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series determine the starting points score of the teams in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers in 2017.

The Series concluded in Fukuoka, Japan in November 2016 with Land Rover BAR taking top honors and carrying 2 bonus points into the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and ORACLE TEAM USA, as runner up, carrying 1 point.

The final rankings after the America’s Cup World Series

The ranking positions from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series determine the seeding and bonus points for the next round – the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers.

During this stage of the competition, each team races every other competitor twice, scoring one point per win.

The top four challengers then advance to the next round – the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

Should the winner of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers advance to the finals of the 35th America’s Cup, they will start the match with a one point advantage.

If there are ties at the end of the round robin phase of racing, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series standings will be used as the tie breaker.

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers are scheduled from 26 May to 3 June.

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The top four challengers from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers will pair off in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals.

Each Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoff round is a first-to-five series.

The winners of the two semi-final rounds will race in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoff final to determine the top challenger who will go on to compete against the Defender in the 35th America’s Cup Match.

As the Defender ORACLE TEAM USA will not compete in any stage of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 4-8 June, and the finals from 10-12 June.

Practice in Bermuda ahead of the start of the competition. Credit: © ACEA 2017 / Photo Austin Wong

The winner of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs meets the Defender, ORACLE TEAM USA, in the final – the 35th America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton.

If the team that wins the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers is in the Match (whether as the Defender or the Challenger), they begin with a one-point advantage – effectively this means that the opposing team must win 8 races to win overall.

The first team to earn 7 points wins the 35th America’s Cup Match, and takes home the oldest trophy in international sport.

The Match is scheduled for 17-18 June and 24-25 June. If necessary, racing will continue on 26-27 June.

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1. Bermuda became a British colony in 1707. This makes the archipelago the oldest and most populated British Oversee Territory remaining.
2. It’s close to the Northeast Coast of the US, approximately 1000 kilometres from North Carolina.
3. Bermuda has over 60,000 residents, spread over 181 island and almost 21 square metre of land.
4. May 24 is traditionally the day Bermudians first go swimming to celebrate the end of winter. Just in time for the America’s Cup qualifying on 26 May.
5. The Gosling brothers, originally from Kent, perfected their Black Seal Rum in Bermuda in 1860. The two national drinks of Bermuda are, naturally, Dark ‘n’ Stormy and the Rum Swizzle.
6. The archipelago is named after Juan de Bermudez who, in 1503, claimed the island for Spain. Interestingly, he never actually landed there but he made two visits to the archipelago and mapped the area.
7. Bermuda’s capital, Hamilton, houses around 1/6 of the population.
8. The first mention of the Bermuda triangle was in 1964. Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, this area in the northern tip of the country is famous because a number of aircraft and ships have gone missing.
9. Bermuda used to be rife with piracy. Known by some as the ‘Isle of Devils’, it was a popular place with pirates who’d capture merchant ships who were making their way between Europe, the Caribbean and North America.
10. The nation flag of Bermuda depicts the British ship Sea Venture, which sank when it was taking on water and was purposely driven onto Bermuda’s reef. The sinking of the ship, initiated the first British settlements in the archipelago.
11. You can snorkel up to 7 miles offshore.
12. The Bermudian dollar is the official currency, set at the same rate as the US dollar.
13. After English, the second most spoken language is Portuguese.
14. The colonial town of St George is Bermuda’s largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the Americas.
15. Bermudians’ nickname is ‘Onions’. The reason for this is because the vegetable became very popular when the first English settlers introduced it to Bermuda in 1616. Onions then became the country’s major export and since the 19th century Bermudians have also become known as ‘Onions’ and Bermuda ‘the onion patch’.
16. This is the first time that Bermuda is hosting the America’s Cup. There should be racing conditions 90% of the time and the America’s Cup Village at the Royal Naval Dockyard is the place to watch the action and enjoy the atmosphere.

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1. Britain has never won the America’s Cup

Skipper Ed Baird with the America’s Cup after Switzerland won in 2007. Credit Wikimedia Commons

Despite the inaugural America’s Cup race taking place in Cowes in 1851, Britain has never won the “Auld Mug”.

The USA has won it 28 times, New Zealand and Switzerland twice, and Australia once.

2. Winners decide the race locations

Bermuda will host the America’s Cup in 2017. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The winner of the America’s Cup race has the right to decide the rules for the next contest, including the types of boats to be used, the location of the race course and when the race will take place.

In 2017, the challenge will take place in Bermuda.

3. The most successful racer

Sir Russell Coutts. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

New Zealand sailor, Sir Russell Coutts has won the America’s Cup five times, including three times as skipper, where he has a perfect 14-0 record on the water (1995, 2000, 2003).

He was CEO of the Oracle Team when it won the America’s Cup twice with 13 wins and 8 losses in 2010 and 2013. Both times with James Spithill as skipper and helmsman.

He is now the CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA), the organising body for the 35th America’s Cup.

4. It costs a lot to enter

Credit: beka/Twitter

The entry fee for the 2017 America’s Cup is $2 million per team. The defender is Team Oracle (USA).

The Challengers are: Land Rover BAR (UK), Artemis Racing (Sweden), Groupama (France), Emirates Team New Zealand and Softbank Team Japan.

5. Favourite food

Beef Wellington. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Leading the UK challenge for the America’s Cup is Sir Ben Ainslie, the skipper and team principal of Land Rover BAR. His favourite food is beef wellington.

Defending in 2017 is the Australian Jimmy Spithill. He skippered Team Oracle (USA) to success in the 34th America’s Cup. He had previously won the “Auld Mug” in 2010 –  the youngest skipper to ever win the silverware. His favourite food is anything “organic and natural, ideally caught or picked by me”.

6. The cup has been vandalised

The America’s Cup. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In 1997 in New Zealand, a Maori activist damaged the America’s Cup trophy after hitting it with a sledgehammer. It was repaired by its makers, Robert Garrard of London.

7. A landlocked start

Glenn Ashby. Credit: North Sails/Twitter

Glenn Ashby, the skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand, grew up in Bendigo, Victoria, in Australia.

He learnt to sail on a lake that was often near dry. 

The 38-year-old, who goes by the nickname Gashby, is just the third Team New Zealand skipper in 20 years, after Sir Russell Coutts and Dean Barker.

8. A most persistent challenger

Sir Thomas Lipton. Credit: Library of Congress

British tea magnate, Sir Thomas Lipton challenged for the trophy five times between 1899 and 1930.

Although he never won, he is credited as introducing the idea of sponsorship in sport.

9. Superstition 

Nathan Outteridge. Credit: Nathan Outteridge/Facebook

The skipper of Artemis Racing, Australian sailor Nathan Outteridge, has a number of race superstitions.

These include never wearing the regatta shirt at the regatta and no hair cuts during events.

10. A tragic end 

The first winner of the iconic race, America. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The gaff schooner, America, won the first America’s Cup, beating 15 years of the Royal Yacht Squadron in the club’s annual regatta around the Isle of Wight on 22 August 1851.

The trophy was renamed the America’s Cup after the yacht.

America continued to race until being sold to the Confederate State of America for use as a blockade running in the American Civil War.

After she was scuttled in Dunns Creek, the yacht was raised, repaired and renamed America by the Union, and served on the Union side for the remainder of the war.

After the war, America was used as a training ship at the U. S. Naval Academy.

America was again sold, and went back to competitive racing.  After falling into disrepair, the vessel was sold to the America Restoration Fund, who donated her to the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

By 1940, the gaff schooner had been sorely neglected. The vessel’s condition deteriorated even further after the shed where America was stored collapsed in a heavy snowstorm.

The ship was finally scrapped and burnt in 1945.

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Celebrity chefs, representing each of the America’s Cup teams, have been competing to see who can create the tastiest dish made of the invasive lionfish.

The #EatLionfish Chefs’ Throwdown was held at the National Museum of Bermuda as part of the build up to the competition.

Organised by 11th Hour Racing, the Chefs’ Throwdown brought together all the teams competing in the 35th America’s Cup around an important environmental issue – promoting Bermuda’s position as a leader in sustainable fishing practices.

Timed to coincide with Earth Week, the judges of the contest were the America’s Cup skippers – giving them a welcome break from training ahead of the first race in just over a month’s time.

The skippers take a break from training to judge the competition

The chefs were:

Gael Orieux (France, Groupama Team France), whose Restaurant Auguste boasts a Michelin star.
Taichi Kitamura (Japan, SoftBank Team Japan), award-winning chef/owner of Seattle’s Sushi Kappo Tamura and a winner of Beat Bobby Flay.
Annabel Langbein (New Zealand, Emirates Team New Zealand), host of The Free Range Cook TV series.
Christofer Ekman (Sweden, Artemis Racing), executive chef at Fotografiska in Stockholm.
Chris Kenny (UK, Land Rover BAR), head chef on Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
Rob Ruiz (USA, ORACLE TEAM USA), winner of the 2016 Ocean Award, owner of The Land & Water Co. in Carlsbad, and San Diego Union-Tribune “2016 Chef of the Year”.

The winner was Chris Kenny, who was awarded a prize of $10,000 to be donated to a charity of his choice.

See below for Chris Kenny’ winning lion fish recipes

He created a trio of dishes – Lionfish Ceviche, Lionfish & Chips, LionFish Curry.

The winning dishes

Commenting on the competition, skipper of Land Rover BAR, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: “The ocean is our playground, and we take our responsibility to care for this amazing resource very seriously”.

“I’m proud that all the teams contending for the America’s Cup have signed onto a sustainability charter, with commitments ranging from avoiding single-use plastics to protecting marine habitats,” added Sir Ben, who’s Land Rover BAR is working with 11th Hour Racing as their exclusive sustainability partner.

Jimmy Spithill, Franck Cammas and Nathan Outteridge wait for the first dish

Rob Ruiz highlighted that choosing what to put on the menu is a vital part of sustainable cooking.

“By putting this voracious predator on a plate and creating a market for lionfish, we can help to put the ocean back into balance,” he noted.

Rick Moonen, of RM Seafood and RX Boiler Room in Las Vegas, who is known as the “Godfather of Sustainability” emceed the cook-off.

The celebrity chefs

The cooking contest also highlighted a new way to cull the lionfish population, by using undersea unmanned robots.

Robots in Service of the Environment (RSE) is developing small, cost-effective ROVs that can stun and capture lionfish on a wide scale, and at depths unavailable to sport divers, who traditionally hunt the spiny, venomous fish with spears.

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RSE is a new nonprofit backed by some of the best minds in robotics and co-founded by Colin Angle, founder and CEO of iRobot and Erika Angle, founder and executive director of Science from Scientists.

An early prototype of the robot was used to capture lionfish for the first time in a marine enclosure in Bermuda ahead of the cooking competition.

Franck Cammas and Nathan Outteridge tuck into one of the dishes

In an effort to maintain the lionfish-containment momentum following the completion of the America’s Cup, 11th Hour Racing is engaging culinary students from Bermuda College to be part of the Chefs’ Throwdown, as well as local and international organizations who are leading efforts in scientific research and innovation around invasive species.

Native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, lionfish are rapidly expanding their range in the Caribbean and Atlantic, where they have no natural predators.

One of the dishes created by Chef Taichi Kitamura (SoftBank Team Japan)

The lionfish has even been spotted in Malta and most recently, Italy.

A single lionfish will spawn approximately 30,000 – 40,000 eggs every three to five days, and can consume 20 fish in 30 minutes.

Chef Chris Kenny (Land Rover BAR), with chef Rick Moonen

Chris Kenny: Lionfish three ways recipes

Lionfish Ceviche:

For the Ceviche:

Finely Sliced Fresh Scallops
Finely Sliced Fresh Lionfish
Finely chopped Shallots
Finely Sliced Chives
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lime Juice
Caviar
Salt
Cayenne Pepper

For the Fennel Salad:

Finely sliced Fennel
Fennel tops – picked
Fennel Seeds – triple blanched until soft
Lime Juice
Caviar
Salt
Cayenne Pepper

For The Fish & Chips:

Lionfish Beer Batter – 1 bottle of Guinness, 1 Bottle of Heineken, Flour & Milk.

Triple blanched chips – Blanched first in water, Drained, Confit in oil then scraped with a fork to ruffle the edges. Finally fried at 190 Deg Celsius until golden.

Minted Mushy Peas – Peas, Butter, Mint, Lemon, Salt, Black Pepper.

Tartar Sauce- Capers, Gherkins, Shallots, Lemon Juice, Parsley, Mayonnaise.

For The Curry:

Curry Base: Lemon Grass, Ginger, Garlic, Chili, Coconut Oil, Kafia Lime Leaf, Secret Spice Mix! – Blended to a fine paste, Cooked for 5 minutes on a low heat then add Coconut Milk.

Sweated diced white onions

Lemon Juice

Finished with diced lionfish.

Curry Garnish:

¼ Cherry Tomatoes
Onion Seeds (nigella seeds)
Puffed Rice Noodles
Fried Poppadum’s – rubbed with curry paste before frying
Finely sliced Chilli and spring onion – iced before service so they go curly
Chili & Lime Yoghurt Gastric – Make a light caramel, De-glaze with lime juice, Fold through
Greek yoghurt.
Fresh Coriander Leaves

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Tributes have been paid to Bill Ficker, who passed away last week at the age of 89.

Ficker is best remembered for skippering the 12-metre class yacht Intrepid to victory in the 21st America’s Cup in 1970.

According to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, his defence against Sir Frank Packer’s challenger Gretel II is considered by many sailing experts to be “a watershed in the post-war history of the Cup”.

Ficker beat the Australia/Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron by 4-1, despite Gretel II being the faster yacht in the conditions.

Intrepid, which won the 1967 and 1970 America’s Cup. Credit: Aaron Doucett/Wikimedia Commons

The racing was intense, with Gretel II smashing into Intrepid’s port side during the third race – making it one of the most controversial races in America’s Cup history.

Ficker first started sailing in the mid-1930s during family holidays to Newport Beach.

He was chosen to skipper Intrepid by the New York Yacht Club after he served as tactician and co-helmsman on Columbia in the 1967 America’s Cup trials

In addition to his America’s Cup success, Ficker won the 1958 Star World Championships together with Mark Yorston and finished third in the 1959 edition.

Find out about the America’s Cup 2017

The former Newport Beach architect was also a winner of the Congressional Cup in 1974.

Ficker was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and US Sailing’s Hall of Fame in 1993.

“RIP Bill, you were truly one of the greats,” posted the America’s Cup on its website.

To honour Bill Ficker, the Long Beach Yacht Club established the Ficker Cup Match Race, a World Tour WS grade 2 qualifier event for Congressional Cup.

Bill Ficker died on 13 March 2017.

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Emirates Team New Zealand was notably absent as the other five teams currently vying for the 35th America’s Cup signed up to the new framework and future protocols for the 2019 and 2021 competitions.

The framework agreement and agreed future protocol binds the signatories to deliver the 36th America’s Cup (AC36) and the 37th America’s Cup (AC37) under certain terms which will “see long-sought stability and continuity in the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport.”

Artemis Racing and Land Rover BAR. Credit: Ricardo Pinto/Land Rover BAR

The terms are as follows:

• The America’s Cup will be on a two-yearly cycle for AC36 (2019) and AC37 (2021);
• The America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) will start, at the election of the defender, as soon as Q4 2017. Venues, sponsors and media partners will be approached over the next six months to secure up to 12 international events over the next two years;
• The first year of the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) will be raced in AC45F foiling catamarans – the same boats used in America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) in the 35th America’s Cup;
• The second year will see a transition to the America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats, the same technically sophisticated class of boats raced in Bermuda in 2017 (with a slight rule modification to extend the wind range in which they can race to 4 to 26 knots). After this transition to the America’s Cup Class (ACC), the AC45Fs will be retired from the America’s Cup competition and the ACC boats will be the only boats raced;
• The America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) will culminate with a final event at the venue for the next America’s Cup and the final standings from the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) will be used to qualify teams for the America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs;
• The America’s Cup Challenger Finals and America’s Cup Match will be held in 2019 in a venue selected by the winner of the 35th America’s Cup;
• To reduce costs, teams will not be permitted to build, test or train on AC45 surrogate boats as they have in this cycle of the America’s Cup;
• This above will repeat for AC37, with the exception that all racing will take place in America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats.

The five of the six current competitors and their respective yacht clubs which signed this framework agreement were: ORACLE TEAM USA, Artemis Racing, Groupama Team France, Land Rover BAR and SoftBank Team Japan.

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In addition, several prospective new America’s Cup teams have been briefed on the framework agreement and have expressed significant interest in becoming challengers for AC36 and AC37.

“Emirates Team New Zealand is not here today, but they have been kept updated on all developments throughout the creation of the framework agreement,” explained the CEO of Land Rover BAR, Martin Whitmarsh at a press conference in London.

“We remain optimistic that they will come on board in the future and it is clear that cooperation is better for all of the stakeholders in the America’s Cup,” he continued.

Emirates Team New Zealand

“The target cost to field a competitive new team is in the US$30-40 million range, a significant reduction from current team budgets,” added Whitmarsh.

Emirates Team New Zealand came third in the America’s Cup World Series, which was won by Land Rover BAR.

Video: Land Rover BAR take America’s Cup World Series crown

They were the only team in the 2015-16 series which were not given at least one home event  – a matter which has caused a dispute between the New Zealand team and the America’s Cup Event Authority.

Land Rover BAR, which hosted two world series events in Portsmouth, has previously announced that the 2016 racing event generated £6.6 million of Gross Value Added to the UK economy – the means by which goods and services measure their value to the economy.

America’s Cup World Series racing in Portsmouth

Team principal and skipper of Land Rover BAR, Sir Ben Ainslie was present at the signing of the new framework agreement in London today.

Commenting, he said: “This framework agreement (for the 36th and 37th America’s Cup) is really pivotal to the future of the America’s Cup. The cup has an incredible history over more than 165 years, but now the teams and the America’s Cup Event Authority can actually start planning for the future.”

According to a press release from the America’s Cup, the framework agreement “respects and upholds all aspects of the Deed of Gift”, the document that lies at the heart of the America’s Cup.

The Deed of Gift is the foundational document governing the America’s Cup.

One of the unique aspects of the competition is that after winning the racing on the water, the victorious yacht club and its team then become the trustees of the event, responsible for outlining the terms of the next edition.

Historically, this has seen a crescendo of interest in the America’s Cup as the final races take place, followed by an extended period of down-time during which the new Defender re-defines the equipment and format of the next event, and builds a business structure to manage the next edition of a major, globalised, international competition, all while maintaining its core focus on winning as a sports team.

“This has resulted in teams being disbanded and costly equipment being made redundant and discarded,” said the America’s Cup press release.

Full event schedule for the 35th America’s Cup is confirmed

Five-time America’s Cup winner and CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority, Sir Russell Coutts believes the new agreement is a “hugely significant moment for the America’s Cup”.

“For the first time in more than 165 years, the teams have got together for the benefit of not only themselves but for the America’s Cup,” he said.

Softbank Team Japan in Toulon. Credit: © Ricardo Pinto | ACEA 2016

His sentiment was echoed by the team founder of ORACLE TEAM USA, Larry Ellison who added: “People who want to enter this race now know how much it will cost, what kind of boat they need to build and that the rules can’t change on them. They are now able to plan ahead, build a boat, build a team and come out and compete for their country.”

Racing in the 35th America’s Cup will take place in Bermuda in May/June of this year.

The 36th America’s Cup cycle will commence thereafter.

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