Six teams to compete for the “Hundred Guinea Cup”

Foto: PAUL TODD

The 37th America’s Cup will pit six teams against each in a battle to take home the legendary Hundred Guinea Cup. Between August 22 and 25, the six teams will go head-to-head off the coast of Barcelona in the third and final preliminary regatta.

The first of the preliminary regattas was held in Vilanova i la Geltrú on September 17, and was won by the New York Yacht Club American Magic team, while the second was held in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on December 2, with victory going to Emirates Team New Zealand.

The first two races were run in AC40s, with top speeds approaching 50 knots (around 92 km/h), but in the third regatta, to be held in Barcelona, the teams will be competing for the first time in their new AC75’s. Some teams have announced that they will be training in the new boats in Barcelona as early as April.

The teams

6 teams will be taking part in the 37th America’s Cup:

Emirates Team New Zealand, will also take part.. Skippered by Olympic medalist Peter Burling, the New Zealanders are defending the trophy they won in Auckland. They know the type of yacht they are racing better than the other teams because they were the original designers of the class. The team that wins the previous competition has the right to choose the design of boat for the next one.
INEOS Britannia, United Kingdom. Sir Ben Ainslie, the Olympian and member of the winning North American team in 2013 will be helming the Challenger of Record, the name given to the first team to challenge the winner of the previous competition.
American Magic, USA.This team starts as one of Emirates Team New Zealand’s strongest rivals, as it is the team that has been most successful in the history of the trophy, winning no less than 25 out of the 36 competitions.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Italy.. Fue finalista en la última edición de la Copa América celebrada en Nueva Zelanda. Cuentan con el timonel más joven de la competición, Marco Gradini.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Switzerland.. Ha ganado dos veces, en 2003 y 2007, una competición a la que dicen volver renovados y confiando en la combinación de experiencia y talento joven. Marcelino Botín, un ingeniero naval español formado en la Universidad de Southampton, es su dissenyador jefe
Orient Express Racing Team, de Francia. Described by their rivals as highly competitive, the French were the last to sign up for this America’s Cup.

Spanish involvement

Spain will be fielding teams in the Youth (under 25) and Women’s competitions. The rules of the competition stipulate that all members of these two teams must be of the same nationality as the flag under which the yacht is sailing.

Although Spain does not have a team in the challenge regatta, it has great potential in these two categories.

The Olympic Port will be the base for both competitions, for which new public areas are currently being constructed. The outer seawall is being turned into a wide promenade from which it will be possible to see the boats sailing out to the race area.

The AC75

As in New Zealand, all teams will be using AC75 monohulls. Large by traditional regatta standards—22.9 meters long by 4.9 meters wide—they are also very light.

The boats’ main feature is that the keel has been replaced by two T-shaped adjustable ‘wings,’ or hydrofoils, which are located on the sides of the boat. These hydrofoils allows the yacht to literally fly over the water. During the race, the one of the two hydrofoils is submerged, enabling the hull to rise above the sea, while the second acts as a counterweight.

The fact that the 37th America’s Cup will be held off the coast of Barcelona affects certain aspects of the design of the boat, which must be suited to the weather and sea conditions in October, when the regatta will be held.

Preliminary Competitions

The America's Cup begins with three preliminary regattas. The first of these was held in Vilanova i la Geltrú on September 17th and was won by the New York Yacht Club American Magic team; the second in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) on December the 2nd with Emirates Team New Zealand as the winning team; and the last one will be in August of this year in Barcelona.

The first two races were run with the uniquely designed AC40 boats, with top speeds close to 50 knots (around 92 km/h). The teams will contest the third preliminary regatta in Barcelona for the first time on their new AC75 boats.

Events calendar

The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup starts officially on August 22, 2024.

August 22 to 25:: The third and final preliminary regatta, with all teams racing on the AC75’s for the first time.
August 29 to September 11: : Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins, a series of races in which the four top-ranked challenger teams will advance to the semifinals and the fifth will be eliminated. The defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand, will also take part..
September 14 to 23: Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup..
September 10 to 26: Celebration of the Youth America’s Cup..
September 26 to October 7: Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup.The semi-finalists will battle it out for the right to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match.
September 28 to October 13: Celebration of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup..
October 10: Opening ceremony of the final of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match..
October 12 to 27: Beginning of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Match, a 13-race competition pitting the current Cup defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, against the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup.. The first team to score 7 points will become the winner of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, and as defending champion, will host the 38th competition.^aedición.