America’s Cup for Dummies

If you’ve been a passive viewer of the 2024 America’s Cup but now want all in, this refresher report by Jan Pehrson for Scuttlebutt Sailing News comes direct from the America’s Cup Media Center in Barcelona, Spain:

In the America’s Cups in the old days, strategy and tactics were paramount as sailors guided their slower displacement boats around the course. Today it is boat speed that is paramount as the AC75 class boats are flying, not dragging through the water. To keep their boats sailing fast, teams cannot let their boats fall off their foils.

Consisting of three series — the just-completed Round Robins, the Semi Finals (Sept. 14-19), and the Finals (Sept. 26-Oct. 07) — the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series is underway in Barcelona, Spain. Teams compete to challenge the current America’s Cup defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the America’s Cup itself, to be sailed October 12-27.

During the Louis Vuitton Cup, challenger teams are eliminated until only one remains. So far, following the Round Robins, the French Team, Orient Express Racing Team, is out. The remaining challengers are Ineos Britannia (Britain), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (Italy), and NYYC American Magic (USA).

The sailors in the America’s Cup teams rank among the world’s best, but during the Louis Vuitton Cup, they are scrambling to get maximum boat speed from these flying machines. The AC75s are sailed very differently than the America’s Cup boats of old.

Before foiling, boat hulls lay in the water and displaced it when moving. This generated a lot of resistance, so boats with displacement hulls were slower. As they are flying through three dimensions, sailing today’s AC75s takes lots of practice.

AC75s have a potential speed of over 50 knots. Boats have managed 40 knots of boat speed upwind in 7-10 knots of wind. Typically, racing speeds are over 30 knots. That is, if they are on their foils! Once off the foils, the AC75s lie in the water and so become slow displacement boats until the teams can get them up and foiling again.

A significant issue has been to avoid wing wash, as this “dirty air” produces huge vortexes trailing off the wing, and getting caught in the wing wash has been fatal. If the winds are light, it has been a powerful tactic to knock an opponent off their foils with wing wash.

Staying aloft during tacks or gybes has been a challenge in the light winds, particularly as the water conditions are more unsettled compared to the 2021 America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

As for the racing wind limits, these are published in the Protocol and the wind sampling limits are 6.5 knots to 21 knots. Ahead of any race getting underway, the Race Committee take a wind sampling at 9 minutes and at 4 minutes to the preliminary warning signal and if the wind is stable above 6.5 knots or below 21 knots, then the race is “live” and gets underway.

After the start, the wind can drop below and that’s where boats may fall off the foils. There is a 10-minute leg 1 time-limit so if both boats don’t make it to the windward mark in 10 minutes, then the race is abandoned. If one boat makes it within 10 minutes and perhaps the other is off the foils, then the race continues.

The standard race course has six laps, but can be shortened to four laps. And while the Protocol has a maximum race time limit of 45 minutes, once the teams round the first weather mark, the Race Committee will adjust the course length so races are completed in a 23-minute broadcast window.

As sports commentators are saying, the America’s Cup is not your grandfather’s regatta anymore. It’s been transformed into an X-Game!

Jan Pehrson is a sailing photojournalist who spends summers in San Francisco, California and winters in St. Pete Beach, Florida. As a racing and cruising sailor and Coast Guard licensed skipper, Jan’s familiarity with sailing and the sailing community lends an in-depth element to her prolific array of photographs and articles. Contact her at www.janpehrson.com

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Team New Zealand competes in the round robin stage only, and the results of their races were not included in the challenger leaderboard.

Viewing details – Race information – Results – Weather forecast

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

2024 America’s Cup
October 12-27: 37th Match (Best of 13)

For competition details, click here.

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