Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup gets underway

Here is everything you need to know about the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup. 

Founded in 1851, the America's Cup is the oldest sporting competition and the most prestigious sailing competition in the world. It brings together the best sailors, cutting-edge technology, and intense rivalries. 

The first America's Cup in 1851 saw Britain challenge America to a 51-mile race around the Isle of Wight. Britain lost that race and, despite numerous attempts, has never won it since.

The 37th America’s Cup is being held in Barcelona between 22 August and 27 October. The city will host the main America's Cup races as well as the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup and 3rd edition of the Youth Americas Cup, for sailors aged 18-25. 

Events began last weekend with a Preliminary Regatta ahead of the start the Louis Vuitton Cup, the Challenger Selection Series, where teams will compete fiercely for the chance to challenge defending Emirates Team New Zealand for the ultimate prize, the Auld Mug – The Cup. 

Teams

INEOS Britannia, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, represent Great Britain as the challenger of record. 60 percent of the INEOS Britannia team came through the RYA racing and British Sailing Team pathway. Over the next eight weeks, they will face tough competition from a field of strong contenders. 

The defending champions and winners of the preliminary regatta Emirates Team New Zealand are looking to retain the trophy they won in 2021. Meanwhile, Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (Italy), American Magic (USA), and the Orient Express Racing Team (France) along with INEOS Britannia are also vying for the chance to claim victory.  

Format

The Louis Vuitton Cup is the Challenger Selection Series for the America's Cup and determines which team will face Emirates Team New Zealand for the Auld Mug. There are three key stages to the competition. 

1. Round-Robin: All six teams race against each other twice. The top four teams advance to the next stage, with the leading team given the advantage of choosing their semi-final opponent.
2. Semi-Finals: The semi-finals follow a knockout format where the first team to win five races advances to the final.
3. Final: The remaining two teams compete in a best-of-thirteen series. The first boat to secure seven race wins the series and earns the right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand in the America's Cup match.

The team that is victorious in the challenger series will join Team New Zealand to compete between 12 and 27 October. The first team to achieve seven victories in this series will claim glory and the Auld Cup.

Women’s America’s Cup

Great Britain is proudly represented in the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup by the Athena Pathway team. Led by former Olympic champion Hannah Mills, the Athena Project is on a mission to accelerate development in high-performance sailing. 100 percent of the female Athena Pathway sailors came through the RYA racing and British Sailing Team pathway. They’ve put together an impressive squad of sailors, all set to make history by winning the very first Women’s America’s Cup!

The excitement kicks off on 5 October with an initial fleet racing series. The top teams will then move on to a thrilling final series, culminating in a winner-takes-all Final Match Race.

Youth America’s Cup

Great Britain is the defending champion of the Youth America’s Cup, having triumphed in the last series in Bermuda in 2017. This time, a talented team of young GB sailors, competing as part of the Athena Pathway, will face off against 11 other nations in an exciting series of match racing that run alongside the Challenger Selection Series. Five of the six Athena Pathway youth sailors have also come through the RYA pathway. 

Schedule

The 2024 America's Cup schedule is packed with thrilling match races every weekend until 27 October. For the complete race schedule and key dates, be sure to check out the official website for the America's Cup.

How to watch

All the action will be streamed live and free. To watch the excitement unfold simply head to the America's Cup website and YouTube channel. Discovery+ and TNT Sports will also provide full coverage of the event along with a highlight show after each day of racing. 

You can find the latest results and standings for each America's Cup competition on the official website. 

On race days, racing is scheduled to start at 1pm BST and will continue until around 5pm, depending on the day's race schedule.

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