THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH
The Competition for the Oldest Trophy in International Sport has started!
In Bermuda!
On May 26th 2017, Bermuda hostes the 35th America’s Cup. The eyes of the world will turn to the iconic Great Sound where the best sailors on the fastest boats will battle for the oldest trophy in international sport. Racing starts with the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers on 26th May and the top Challenger will meet Defending Champions ORACLE TEAM USA in the 35th America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton beginning on 17th June, 2017.
For over three centuries, the mystique that is Bermuda has been slowly evolving, with each generation adding its own tales to the story. Now there’s an exciting new chapter being written as Bermuda becomes Home of the 2017 America’s Cup.
Bermuda is composed of 181 islands, totalling 21 square miles, and has just over 60,000 residents. As you would expect in a place with so many islands, water activities are the life-blood of Bermuda.
Renowned for crystal blue water and beautiful pink sand beaches, Bermuda’s Great Sound will form a natural amphitheatre for the race course while the planned America’s Cup Village at the Royal Naval Dockyard, will be the beating heart of the America’s Cup experience.
The America’s Cup is the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport and dates back to 1851.
Over that time, teams representing just four nations (the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland) have won the trophy in over 160-years of competition.
It is one of the greatest challenges in all of sport.
The defending champion is ORACLE TEAM USA, who first won the America’s Cup in 2010, and successfully defended the title in 2013. Now six teams, including ORACLE TEAM USA, have signed up to take on the challenge again.
The 35th America’s Cup will be in June 2017 on the Great Sound of Bermuda. Racing in a series of preliminary events, collectively known as the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series, have taken place at selected venues in 2015 and 2016, with teams having the opportunity to host events.
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series regattas have been raced in the AC45F class – a one-design catamaran powered by a wing sail that flies above the water on foils and is sailed by a crew of five.
Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team won the series, collecting two bonus points for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers, the next stage of the event. Jimmy Spithill’s ORACLE TEAM USA has one bonus point for its second place showing.
In 2017, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs, as well as the America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton, will be raced in the new America’s Cup Class – a very fast, foiling, wing-sailed catamaran, manned by six crew (helmsman, wing trimmer, tactician/grinder and three grinders).
The 35th Edition of the America´s Cup came to an end with an exciting race and a great winner.
Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand have won the 35th America’s Cup.
Another dominant race win for Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand in race nine of the America’s Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton, gave the Kiwi team victory on the Great Sound in Bermuda, sparking wild celebrations on board their America’s Cup Class (ACC) boat, and the team’s support boats on the Great Sound. Burling now adds the 35th America’s Cup to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup trophy he won in San Francisco, 2013.
The Kiwi team dominated the final stage of the 35th America’s Cup, winning eight races to ORACLE TEAM USA’s one race win, giving the New Zealanders a final winning scoreline of 7-1.
The America’s Cup was last won by a team representing New Zealand in 2000 and they are now the Defenders of the America’s Cup for the 36th installment of the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport.
In the final press conference of the 35th America’s Cup, Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, also announced that the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has accepted the challenge of Circolo della Vela Sicilia, who will be the Challenger of Record for the 36th America’s Cup and will be represented by Luna Rossa.
Race nine started with both Emirates Team New Zealand and ORACLE TEAM USA enjoying clean starts and engaged in a drag race to the first mark, the US team edging just ahead but then losing ground to their rivals on the run to the second mark.
Burling was serene at the helm of the Kiwi boat, displaying no nerves as he steered his team towards glory, but Spithill and the ORACLE TEAM USA crew were not giving up, pushing harder than ever to try and take the tie to race ten. However, it was not to be.
By the third mark the Challenge’s lead was up to 26 seconds, increasing further still at the fourth mark, up to 34 seconds, and from that point, barring mistakes by Burling and his all-conquering Emirates Team New Zealand crew, the die was cast.
ORACLE TEAM USA managed to peg back their rivals slightly in the latter stages of the race, but New Zealand sealed their win in impressive style, crossing the finish line for the final time in the 35th America’s Cup 55 seconds ahead of the US team.
FG ART & TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL