AMERICA'S CUP 2021
The 36th America's Cup will take place in the waters of the Hauraki Gulf in front of the New Zealand city of Auckland in March 2021 with a series of the best of thirteen races, between Te Rehutai of the Emirates Team New Zealand Defender and the challengers, to be defined with the regattas of the Prada Cup 2021.
The regattas are raced using AC75 class yachts.
The America's Cup for the third time, after the editions of 2000 and 2003, will take place in the waters of the Hauraki Gulf, in front of the Waitematā Harbor in Auckland, New Zealand, the city where the defender, the Royal New Zealand, is based Squadron of yachts. The management has identified five regatta courses (indicated by the letters A, B, C, D and E) on which to compete according to weather conditions and wind direction.
The Challenger of Record of this edition is the Circolo della Vela Sicilia with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, led by Max Sirena. On March 13, 2018, James Spithill will return to the team, already at the helm of Luna Rossa in the 2007 America's Cup challenge.
The Royal Yacht Squadron participates with Ineos Team UK, led by Sir Ben Ainslie.
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) participates with the American Magic team, with Terry Hutchinson. The name American Magic recalls two historic boats for the NYYC and for the competition: America, the first boat to win the cup in 1851, and Magic, which defended the cup in 1870. in May 2018 the New Zealander Dean Barker was announced as helmsman.
Three more challenges are announced at the end of 2018: Iain Percy for the Royal Malta Yacht Club; Taylor Canfield and the Long Beach Yacht Club; a challenge launched by the Dutch of Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeil en Roei Vereeniging.
In 2019 the challenges of Malta and the Netherlands are withdrawn, while in December 2020, on the eve of the competition, Stars & Stripes also announces the withdrawal.
This edition marks a return to the monohull: it will be raced with AC75 class boats, monohulls of 75 feet length equipped with hydrofoil. The rules for the construction of boats (within the allowed limit of two boats for each team) must take place in the country of origin.
For the crews the presence of a strong component of the country of origin is established, with strict conditions for foreigners. 20% of the members must have the passport of the country of the union, the others must have resided in the country for at least 380 days between 1 September 2018 and 1 September 2020.
Luna Rossa qualified for the final of the Prada Cup 2021 by beating with authority the Americans of American Magic in the semifinals with a dry 4-0. The team financed by Patrizio Bertelli will face the British team of Ineos UK in the final from 13 to 22 February 2021 and the winner will challenge Team New Zealand in the 36th edition of the America’s Cup.
