America’s Cup: Preview in one month

It’s soon to get real for the teams seeking to win the 37th America’s Cup with the final preliminary event on August 22-25, and then the challenger series begins August 29. All the hours of training, the work in the simulators, the designer’s theories and the sailor’s skills and prowess will be tested to an extent.

This will the third and final Preliminary Regatta, and while the points do not count towards progression or elimination, this will be the first time all six new AC75s get compared in battle. The questions will come quick: Who is fast, and in what conditions? Who can maneuver best in the starting box? What will the top speeds be? Who has the racecraft and skills to deliver their platform to the winning line?

Right now, as it stands today, nobody knows, and everyone is guessing. Will there be sand-bagging with teams holding back technology (and outright speed) to spring a surprise when it really matters? These are the questions as New Zealand, Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, USA, and France pursue their place in the 37th Match to be held October 12-21.

What is certain is that every team will be operating at their highest level at this given point of their campaign, all eager to take scalps and speed test relentlessly. There is little time to make dramatic improvements but enough time to work on the finest of details.

Conditions may well play into the overall standings with many of the boats having a sweet spot defined by the design teams whilst others are angled as all-weather AC75s, able to be moded at will. For those who have watched the boats and the training day-in, day-out make it too close to call.

Kevin Shoebridge, Chief Operating Officer of Emirates Team New Zealand, now in his tenth campaign, assess how all teams look strong. “We will be looking at all of the teams closely as they all have some interesting design aspects. It is far too early to make assessments one way or another because all teams will be focused on their own programs.

“As the intensity and progress of the event increases, our specific focus will become a lot more narrowed! We’ll be looking to take as much as possible from across the board in the Preliminary Regatta – racing practice, performance analysis on ourselves and relative to our competitors, and really for all teams I am sure it will be a very clear look at where teams are sitting relative to each other.”

For Quentin Delapierre, skipper of Orient Express Racing Team, there’s a very clear focus on who they will be monitoring at the Preliminary Regatta and into the Louis Vuitton Cup: “The team we will be looking at will be, for sure, the Emirates Team New Zealand because we have nearly the same design package.

“I believe that if we close the gap between boat handling and straight-line speed, it will be really nice for our performance so we will inspire the team and improve our technique and our boat handling.

“I am keen to see our performance compared to Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic. As I look in Barcelona, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is probably the toughest challenger at the moment, and they look pretty steady and fast on the water. We will wait and see.”

Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and President of Sailing Operations at NYYC American Magic is eyeing the Preliminary Regatta as a learning experience, saying: “It will be good to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Patriot against the fleet. Learning what mode to sail off the line and how to use Patriot’s speed.”

Terry is acutely aware that everyone is dangerous at this stage of the competition saying: “All teams are our competitor. Each team has clever thinking and so we will look to see what we can learn and how we can improve from the fleet not just one team. There is a lot of development for every team between now and the start of the Preliminary Regatta. The true test for all the teams is to be learning as much as they can between now and the start of this test event.”

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period was from December 1, 2021 until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup could be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the reveal, finally confirming Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup begins October 12, 2024.

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)

2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 2 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 22-25, 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain

2024 Challenger Selection Series
August 29-September 8: Double Round Robin
September 14-19: Semi Finals (Best of 9)
September 26-October 7: Finals (Best of 13)

2024 America’s Cup
October 12-21: 37th Match (Best of 13)

Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.

Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Event details: www.americascup.com/en/home

Source: ACE