The 36th America's Cup in March 2021 was the latest staging of the America's Cup

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

race. It was contested on the inner

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand, between the

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is a New Zealand yacht club, and the club behind New Zealand's America's Cup campaigns, under the guises of New Zealand Challenge and Team New Zealand. It held the America's Cup from 1995 until 2003, bec ...

and Circolo della Vela Sicilia of Italy. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's boat was '' Te Rehutai'' owned and sailed by the Emirates Team New Zealand syndicate. Circolo della Vela Sicilia's boat was ''Luna Rossa'', owned and sailed by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli syndicate. Both boats are AC75 class high-performance foiling monohulls, a class designed specifically for this competition. The Cup was won by Team New Zealand, 7–3. The

was the Defending Club, having won the preceding 35th America's Cup in 2017, and was therefore responsible for organizing and hosting this event. The Challenging Club was Circolo della Vela Sicilia, whose team won the selection series – the 2021 Prada Cup – and was also the Challenger of Record, having been the first yacht club to make a valid challenge under the

Deed of Gift of the America's Cup The Deed of Gift of the America's Cup is the primary instrument that governs the rules to make a valid challenge for the America's Cup and the rules of conduct of the races. The current version of the deed of gift is the third revision of the orig ...

after Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron won the 35th America's Cup. The 36th America's Cup was raced under rules agreed between the Defending Club and the Challenging Club within the legal framework of the

. In AC competition, the club whose boat is first to win seven races wins the cup and becomes the Defending Club, host, and organizer of the 37th America's Cup, after receiving a valid challenge from a yacht club from another country that meets the conditions of the deed.

Background

The 35th edition of the America's cup was held between 17 and 26 June 2017. It was contested between the challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, and the defender, Oracle Team USA. Team New Zealand won the cup match with a score of 7 to 1 over Oracle Team USA. The successful challenge made the

the Defending club for the 36th America's cup. The protocol for the 36th America's cup was released on 29 September 2017 with

Auckland, New Zealand Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

as the intended venue for the event.

Grant Dalton Grant Stanley Dalton (born 1 July 1957) is a New Zealand sailor who has competed in five Whitbread Round the World Races and currently manages Team New Zealand. Background Dalton is a professional sailor who started sailing at the age 8 in th ...

, the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, confirmed that the fashion brand Prada had secured the right to be the exclusive naming and presenting sponsor of all events comprising the 36th America's Cup. This included the

Challenger Selection Series Challenger Selection Series is the sailing competition that awards the title of Challenger in the America's Cup, may refer to: *Herbert Pell Cup (1958-1980) *Louis Vuitton Cup (1983-2017) *Prada Cup The Prada Cup is the name of the Challenger Se ...

which would officially be named The Prada Cup. This replaced the

Louis Vuitton Cup The Louis Vuitton Cup was the name of the Challenger Selection Series sailing competition from 1983, named after its sponsor, Louis Vuitton. The winner of the competition became the challenger to compete with the defender of the America's Cu ...

that had been used as the Challenger Selection Series between 1983 and 2017. The class rule for the AC75, the foiling monohulls that would be used for the event, was published on 29 March 2018. The three person Arbitration Panel was appointed on 10 May 2018. The chairperson was David Tillett (AUS) who was joined by Henry Peter (SUI) and Graham McKenzie (NZL). All three are respected lawyers who have experience working with previous America's Cup adjudication bodies. In August 2018, an "America's Cup Overture" was held in Cowes, England, 167 years after the original America's Cup race occurred at the same location. At the event, Auckland was confirmed as the venue for the cup match and challenger series with the event dates and courses also announced.

Scheduling

The event was originally scheduled to start on 6 March 2021, but was delayed until 10 March due to a

COVID-19 lockdown Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...

in Auckland. Iain Murray was the race director. Entries for challengers opened on 1 January 2018 and closed on 30 June 2018 with late entries accepted until 30 November 2018. Heats for challengers and the defender, known as World Series, were held in 2020 in the brand new AC75 class. Challenger selection series was held in January and February 2021 with the America's Cup match against the defender in March. Prior to Emirates Team New Zealand winning the 35th America's Cup in 2017, Oracle (the defender at the time) and four of the five challengers had signed a framework that would have seen the 36th America's Cup in 2019 and the 37th in 2021, with the existing 35th Cup class boats, the

AC50 The AC50 (defined in the America's Cup rules as AC Class yacht, or ACC) was a wingsail catamaran A Formula 16 beachable catamaran Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States A catamaran () (informally, a "ca ...

s, and a pre-selection America's Cup World Series tournament with the same boats. Team New Zealand, the eventual champion, had opted to not sign the framework agreement, and were not bound by its terms, freeing them to set their defence for 2021 with a brand new format and class.

Challengers

Circolo della Vela Sicilia was the "Challenger of Record" for the 36th America's Cup. Their team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, currently led by Max Sirena, had previously lost to Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2000 America's Cup, the 2007, and the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup finals. On 13 March 2018, Jimmy Spithill announced he was returning to the team, after his tenure as helmsman in the

2007 America's Cup The 2007 America's Cup was the thirty-second challenge for the America's Cup and was won by Alinghi in the 7th race. The Cup is the most famous and most prestigious regatta and '' Match Race'' in the sport of sailing. As per the Deed of Gift o ...

. The

began accepting challenges from further eligible yacht clubs, in addition to the Challenger of Record, on 1 January 2018. Ineos Team UK entered and was led by

Ben Ainslie Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie (born 5 February 1977) is a British competitive sailor. Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. He won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at the four consecutiv ...

. The

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

(NYYC) entered AC36, under the syndicate name American Magic, with a team led by Terry Hutchinson and funded by Doug DeVos, John J. "Hap" Fauth, and

Roger Penske Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937) is an American businessman and entrepreneur involved in professional auto racing and a retired professional auto racing driver. He is most famous for his ownership of Team Penske, DJR Team Penske, t ...

. In May 2018 it was announced that Dean Barker would helm the boat. "American Magic" refers to the first Cup winner, the

''America'' of 1851, and the first defender, NYYC's yacht ''

Magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

'', who successfully defended in

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the ...

. The America's Cup trophy was held by the NYYC for 132 years until

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

. The NYYC's reign was the longest winning streak – as measured by years – in the history of all sports. At the close of the late entry notice period, 30 November 2018, eight notices of challenge were submitted to the defender. There was speculation about entries from Australia and China, and second challengers from Italy and the United States. After processing those entries by order of reception, by the end of year 2018 three additional challenges were accepted: Iain Percy and the

Royal Malta Yacht Club The Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) is a yacht club in Ta’ Xbiex Marina, Ta' Xbiex (Malta). History The date of the first establishment of the Royal Malta Yacht Club has not been ascertained, although there are rumours as to the existence of a ...

; a second American challenge from

Taylor Canfield Taylor Canfield (born February 5, 1989) is a United States Virgin Islands sailor competing in match racing. He won the ICSA Match Racing National Championship with Boston College in 2010 and 2011, and the 2013 World Match Racing Tour and became ...

and the

Long Beach Yacht Club Long Beach Yacht Club is a private yacht club in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1929. In November 2018 it was announced that the Club has officially challenged for the 2021 America's Cup in January and February 2021 in Auckland, NZ. ...

; and a national challenge from

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issued by Royal Dutch Yacht Club. On 2 April 2019, the New York Yacht Club, through team American Magic, filed for arbitration relating to the acceptance of the three late entry teams. On 15 May 2019, the America's Cup Arbitration Panel released their decision denying American Magic's application and allowed the late entry teams to compete. On 31 May 2019, the Royal Malta Yacht Club announced that they were withdrawing as a challenger. On 1 July 2019, the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeil- & Roeivereeniging announced that it was also withdrawing as a challenger, whereas the Long Beach Yacht Club confirmed their ongoing commitment. On 9 December 2020, Stars & Stripes (Long Beach Yacht Club) withdrew from the competition. Starting 29 January 2021, Luna Rossa faced the New York Yacht Club in a best-of-7 semifinal for the challenger's Prada Cup; by 30 January, the Italians had completed a 4–0 sweep to advance to the Prada Cup finals. In the best-of-13 finals, Luna Rosa needed only 8 races, ending on 21 February, to defeat the INEOS Team 7–1, advancing from the challenger's pool.

Venue

The Cup was sailed in New Zealand's

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,North Island, outside of

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

City's

Waitematā Harbour Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and easter ...

as the venue. Italy was announced as the backup venue. Auckland had also previously been the venue for the America's Cup in 2000 and 2003. Infrastructure work was undertaken in Auckland's

Wynyard Quarter The Wynyard Quarter (historically also known as the Western Reclamation, Wynyard Point, Wynyard Wharf or Tank Farm) is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitematā Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand. It is lo ...

to prepare for the event. This included dredging of the Outer Viaduct Harbour, installation of new floating infrastructure such as pontoons, and construction of team bases. Five race courses were used, lettered A through to E. Every racing day the race management made a decision on which course would be used. During the Prada Cup, the Auckland Sky Tower was illuminated in red alongside the event logo projected with a variety of animations. The show occurred on the hour and half hour between 9pm and 2am on race days.

Boats

The America's Cup races have been contested using many historical classes in the past. For the 2021 series Team ENTZ developed a new class of foiling monohulls named the America's Cup 75 or AC75. The boats were required to be "constructed in country". Teams were allowed to build two boats each. The winning yacht of ETNZ is named ''Te Rehutai'', which means 'spirit of the ocean'.

Nationality

Twenty percent of sailors in each team were required to have passports from that country. The rest must meet a residency requirement: they must reside in that team's country for 380 days from 1 September 2018 to 1 September 2020.

Qualifying event

The first two of the three planned 2020 America's Cup World Series competitions – in Sardinia and Portsmouth – were cancelled due to the

impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the most significant disruption to the worldwide sporting calendar since World War II. Across the world and to varying degrees, sports events have been cancelled or postponed. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo w ...

. The third event, held over three days in December 2020, was won by Emirates Team New Zealand. A subsequent "Christmas Race" was abandoned due to low wind. None were used as a qualification competition. The cancellations of the earlier regattas meant that the third world series event was the first time that the AC75 class had been sailed in competition anywhere, including by the competitors themselves, before the qualifying series. The successful control of the

COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is part of COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in New Zealand was reported ...

meant that local activities were able to continue according to schedule and with minimal disruption – including the fact of spectators being allowed to gather in groups to view the event in-person, something which had been forbidden at nearly all major sporting events around the world during 2020. The 2021 Prada Cup was held in Auckland between 15 January and 21 February 2021. It was the competition to determine the official challenger. It started with a quadruple Round-robin tournament, to determine a seeding, which Ineos Team UK won undefeated. The round-robin was notable for the capsize of American Magic in its fourth match and subsequent forfeiture of the rest of the round-robin races while the team effected major repairs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (2nd in the round-robin) went on to beat American Magic 4–0 in a semi-final series to advance to the final. Luna Rossa then won the final series against Ineos UK by 7–1 – thereby becoming the official challenger for the America's Cup against defender Emirates Team New Zealand. Detection of COVID-19 cases in Auckland led to an increase in alert level by the New Zealand Government that caused disruption to the racing and spectator access during the latter stages of the final series.

Cup match

The America's Cup was a best of 13 race series. Races were originally to be held from 6–15 March 2021, with two races per day on 6–7 March, 10 March, and 12–15 March, with additional "reserve days" available if poor weather necessitates a delay. On 28 February, the New Zealand Government announced that Auckland would move into lockdown for at least 7 days due to a resurgence of COVID-19. This caused the postponement of race days 1 and 2 (originally scheduled to be held on 6–7 March). On 5 March, the revised schedule was released, with racing starting on 10 March and ending 17 March. Notes: * Race day 4 (races 7 and 8) were postponed on 14 March due to light winds and were scheduled to be run on 15 March. All further race days were pushed an extra day to accommodate. * Race 8 was shortened mid-race from 6 legs to 5 legs due to wind conditions. *Due to poor wind conditions at the start of race day 5 (16 March), only one race was able to be run before the end of the day– race 9. The 10th race therefore became the first race to be sailed on the 6th day of the competition. Team New Zealand retained the America's Cup trophy that they had won in 2017, winning the best of 13 series by 7 races to 3. The Italian team won three of the first five races, but New Zealand won five straight to keep the title. This was their fourth victory, following earlier wins in 1995 and 2000. The turning point came in the eighth race, where New Zealand clawed back a four-minute deficit to win and take a 5–3 lead, just as their opponents looked to be drawing level in the series. The Prime Minister of New Zealand,

Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the member of ...

, commented that "Team New Zealand has once again made us all so proud by retaining the America’s Cup...we want to see it all over again in 2023".

Broadcasting

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and

Sky Italia Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian satellite television platform owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast. Sky Italia also broadcasts three national free-to-air television channels: TV8, Cielo and Sky TG24. As of 2018, following an ag ...

*: Astro *: TVNZ *:

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...

and Sky Sports UK and Ireland *:

NBC Sports Network NBCSN was an American sports television channel owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which was dedicated to programming prim ...

*: M4Sport *: Canal Plus *:

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*: TSN *:

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*Latin America:

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Extra The event was also streamed live on

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and its own website. In 2018, TVNZ secured the exclusive New Zealand broadcast rights for the cup and it's preliminary events. This meant that all racing would be broadcast live on free-to-air TV and live streamed on

TVNZ OnDemand TVNZ+ ( mi, Te Reo Tātaki Ā-Tono), formerly known as TVNZ OnDemand, is an online New Zealand television and video on demand streaming service offered by TVNZ. It offers a variety of free content, such as news updates and programmes seen on TVN ...

, the CEO of

Team New Zealand Team New Zealand or TNZ is a sailing team based in Auckland, New Zealand representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Team New Zealand became a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the America's Cup i ...

, said that "It has been a fundamental principle of Emirates Team New Zealand and the Challenger of Record that the America’s Cup be accessible to as many Kiwis as possible since we won the trophy back almost one year ago. TVNZ have committed to provide coverage of this America’s Cup like no other, so we are delighted that the America’s Cup Match Presented by Prada and all preceding events will be broadcast live and free to air for all New Zealanders to watch and be part of."

References

External links

Americascup.com
the official website of the competition *Officia
YouTube playlist
of all ''36th America's Cup'' videos {{America'sCup America's Cup regattas

Amer Amer may refer to: Places * Amer (river), a river in the Dutch province of North Brabant * Amer, Girona, a municipality in the province of Girona in Catalonia, Spain * Amber, India (also known as Amer, India), former city of Rajasthan state ** Am ...

Americas Cup, 2021 Auckland waterfront Waitematā Harbour