Always so magical and unpredictable the small world of the America’s Cup! This Thursday, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand, the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd and the Challenger of Record, the English of Ineos Team UK, made an announcement concerning the protocol of the 37th edition. They are counting include in the next protocol the obligation for each challenge undertaken to have an AC40, a kind of reduced model of
the AC75 which remains the support for the next two editions. The AC40 is expected to be delivered in late 2022 – early 2023.
“All teams will have to buy at least one AC40”
The aim is to attract women and young sailors to dedicated regattas, especially during the Women’s and Youth America’s. On paper, the concept is attractive but it will force the challenges to spend even more money, as Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton confirms: “All teams will have to buy at least one AC40 which will be used in the preliminary regattas, then made available to women and young sailors for regattas to be held on the site of the AC37 match ”.
The Defender and the Challenger of Record have been working to agree on the protocol for the next edition to be released on November 17th. For now, we do not know the place.
And nothing says that the 37th edition will take place in New Zealand, the country which won the last edition last March, at home in Auckland (7 to 3 against the Italians of Luna Rossa).
The 37th edition in Europe?
Immediately after this victory in the final, the New Zealanders had confirmed the British challenge Ineos Team UK as official Challenger for the next edition in 2024. However, we know that the Challenger, nominated by the winner, participates in the development of the rules and conditions of future events alongside the defending champion.
We also know that no agreement has been reached between Emirates Team New Zealand and the New Zealand government and that it is not at all impossible that the Kiwis, in search of a third consecutive victory, export the Cup. elsewhere. It remains to be seen where!
With a British Challenger, it is not impossible that the oldest sports trophy in the world can take a long trip from Auckland to Europe.
We remember that the 2017 edition, organized by the Americans of Oracle, took place in Bermuda.
We just noted this sentence from Grant Dalton: “We would certainly anticipate an entry from the host country if it did not have an America’s Cup team”.
The city of Cork in Ireland has made a request to New Zealanders. Answer Friday …
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