BARCELONA, Spain — The world’s oldest international sporting trophy, the best sailors and the latest design and technology will come together in Barcelona for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup.
Five boats – from Italythe United States, Great Britain, Switzerland and France – will race in the waves of the Mediterranean in the coming weeks to decide who will be given the honour of trying to dethrone the all-powerful Emirates Team New Zealand for the Auld Mug. After Thursday’s opening races, the British team Ineos leads the rankings.
As two-time defenders, the Kiwis chose the choppy waters of Barcelona as their venue and helped set the rules and boat design for this edition, and are also guaranteed a place in the finals in October.
The results of three years of work and huge investments are now being put to the test.
“It’s starting to get serious very quickly. We’re racing for the win now,” said Ben Ainslie, skipper of British team INEOS Britannia, on Wednesday.
Here’s what else you need to know about the sailing World Cup equivalent.
Sci-fi boats
For anyone who hasn’t been following the foiling revolution in sailing over the past decade, the America’s Cup yachts look more like something designed to fly through space in a science fiction film than a traditional sailing dinghy.
The only parts that are more or less recognizable are the rudder, mast, mainsail and jib of the foiling 75-foot monohull that the champions chose as the boat type for these regattas. This AC75 is an evolution of the 2021 monohulls, which were a radical leap from the catamarans that the same New Zealand team sailed to victory in 2017.
If you are looking for a skipper standing at the helm while the sailors run around the deck, forget it. The crew members with helmets sit in the cockpits, which keeps them out of the wind and improves the aerodynamics of the boats.
But the most striking feature of these boats is the twin hydrofoils, attached to wing-like appendages on both the port and starboard sides, which make these boats look like giant water warriors. The wings allow these marvels of nautical engineering to spend more time with the bottom of their hulls above the water than they do underwater during the race. Their “T” shape resembles the inverted tail of an orca whale, and their 15-foot wingspan keeps the six-ton-plus boat upright as it hurtles across the water at 50 knots per hour (57.5 mph/92 km/h).
8-person crew
All teams have two helmsmen for this race – a copy of a move made by the Italian Luna Rossa team three years ago. The two helmsmen take turns steering and keep an eye on each other’s blind spots, as the sails block half of their view. There are also two trimmers.
This time the grinders are gone. Instead each boat has four cyclists, also called “cyclors” —many of whom are world-class rowers—pedal to power the hydraulic mechanisms needed to trim the sails and turn the mast.
The defenders
Emirates Team New Zealand won the America’s Cup in 1995 and 2000 and have since won the last two editions.
They are without a doubt the team to beat.
The team led by Grant Dalton has earned the respect of their rivals for their daring boat designs and flawless execution. They will compete in the opening round, but their points will not count. They will then sit out the next two rounds while the remaining teams compete to see who will face them in the final.
Peter Burling is back at the helm after helping the team win in 2017 and 2021. He and fellow Olympic medallist Nathan Outteridge will helm the super-sleek Taihoro yacht.
“The challenger group is the strongest it has been at the America’s Cup in a long time,” Burling said. “It’s going to be super exciting to see what happens over the next few weeks.”
The Challengers
– The Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team last reached the final in 2021 — losing 7-3. The team representing Sicily Yacht Club is captained by helmsmen Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni.
— INEOS United Kingdom hopes to end Britain’s painfully long quest for a title. No team has fought as often as the British, a losing streak that began in 1851 when they were beaten by the schooner America in a race around the Isle of Wight. INEOS is led by helmsman and Olympic great Ainslie and is supported by the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
—NYYC American Magic is back after the 2021 campaign ended shortly after its conclusion. Patriot boat capsized and nearly sank. The New York Yacht Club draws on its history of winning the first edition and then successfully defending the title 24 times until that incredible 132-year run ended in 1983. It is led by Tom Slingsby, the Sailor of the Year, an Australian who holds a U.S. passport thanks to his American mother, and Englishman Paul Goodison, a fellow Olympic gold medalist.
— Alinghi Red Bull Racing is backed by the sports drink giant and its Formula 1 team. The Swiss team is chasing a title after the landlocked nation won the cup in 2003 and 2007. It has trained in Barcelona the longest since it moved here two years ago.
— Orient Express Racing Team comes with a boat based on a design it bought from the New Zealand team. The last team to arrive in Barcelona, the French, have the added challenge of having less time on location to practice.
The size
In a round-robin phase, the weakest challenger will be eliminated before September 8. The remaining four teams will play two play-off series to determine which boat will face New Zealand in a best-of-13 series starting on October 12.
This year’s event also includes a new Women’s America’s Cup and a youth competition.
The course
The race takes place in the same waters where the sailing competitions during the 1992 Olympic Games took place.
Boats weave back and forth across a rectangular race course in waters just off Barcelona’s beach, within view of fans on the shore. Boats must pass through a pair of buoys called a gate and make hairpin turns as they go from one foil to the next.
Several teams have indicated that the waters off Barcelona can be more challenging for racing than, say, Auckland, as there is no natural bay to hold back the waves that come from far offshore and often travel in a direction perpendicular to the wind.
The start of a race is crucial, as boats must manoeuvre to ensure they are as close to the front as possible at the start.
The location
When choosing Spain, New Zealand broke with tradition to choose Auckland as the venue for this edition due to the need to guarantee a big payday. And what better place to ensure that people flock to the event than one of Europe’s leading Mediterranean destinations?
The last regatta in New Zealand was held while the world was still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning there were few crowds and few of the glamour – think superyachts and wealthy sailing enthusiasts – that are expected to return en masse to Barcelona. Fashion and luxury goods designer Louis Vuitton has returned as an official sponsor of the race and the trophy will be safely stored in a custom-made Louis Vuitton suitcase during the journey.
Barcelona estimates that the event will attract some 2.5 million tourists and leave more than a billion euros in the city. It comes amid a surge in complaints from citizens about what they see as “overtourism” and sky-high rents.