Qualifier Pools announced for Youth America’s Cup

(February 28, 2017) – Two pools of top young sailors from 12 countries will battle for a spot in the finals at June’s Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in Bermuda.

There are six sailors per team, and six teams per pool selected by blind draw. In the Qualifiers this June, the top four teams from each pool will advance to the eight-boat Finals. The youth teams will be competing on the same racecourse used by the America’s Cup teams.

POOL A
Artemis Youth Racing (Sweden)
Team France Jeune (France)
Kaijin Team Japan (Japan)
Youth Vikings Denmark (Denmark)
Team Tilt (Switzerland)
SVB Team Germany (Germany)

POOL B
Team BDA (Bermuda)
NZL Sailing Team (New Zealand)
Land Rover BAR Academy (Great Britain)
Spanish Impulse Team (Spain)
Next Generation USA (USA)
Candidate Sailing Team (Austria)

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup was introduced in 2013 as a career pathway toward the America’s Cup itself. Eight sailors from that debut have gone on to professional careers, including Peter Burling, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist who will take the helm for Emirates Team New Zealand in the upcoming America’s Cup, and his teammate Blair Tuke.

In 2017, for the first time the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup will use the foiling AC45F catamarans used in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

“The pools look quite equal, and I think it will be mistakes that prevent teams from advancing out of the Qualifiers,” observes orgnaizer Hans Peter Steinacher. “However, the British team [Land Rover BAR Academy] is a big favorite because they have experience sailing a foiling catamaran, the GC32, in the Extreme Sailing Series. But we’ll see. It’s not easy to be the favorite.”

Next up for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup teams: official training periods sailing with the only eight AC45F catamarans on the planet. Training for Group A will take place in Bermuda on May 28-June 3, followed by training for Group B on June 4-10.

Then the action accelerates in conjunction with the America’s Cup in Bermuda, with Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Pool A and B Qualifiers scheduled for June 12-16, 2017, followed by the Finals on June 20-21.

Background: The 35th American’s Cup has attracted six teams (5 challengers and 1 defender) that will compete in the new 15-meter AC Class, with a series of qualifiers beginning on May 26, 2017 that lead to the start of the America’s Cup Match on June 17, 2017. Complete schedule.

Source: ACEA