Prada Cup: How to follow and schedule changes

Finally, the America’s Cup 2021 is in sight as the three challengers prepare to start racing in the Prada Cup to see who will take on the Defender, Emirates Team New ZealandIneos Team UK’s foiling monohull Britannia II will be racing competitively for the first time in the America’s Cup World Series Auckland. Photo: Facebook/IneosTeamUKThe teams are there, the boats are there, and it won’t be long before the racing starts in the Prada Cup, the official competition to select the challenger to take on Emirates Team New Zealand for the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland.
The Prada Cup, as it is now named, used to be called the Louis Vuitton Cup – or Challenger Selection Series. It will decide which of: Luna Rosa Prada Pirelli; INEOS Team UK; or American Magic will take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2021 America’s Cup.
What do we know?
In a normal Cup cycle we would have seen plenty of competitive racing by now and would have some idea what to expect, but with the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting plans for America’s Cup World Series events in Sardinia and Portsmouth racing has been extremely limited.
However, with the first weekend of racing in the Prada Cup, now under our belts we have a much better understanding of how each of the challengers compare at this early stage.
Our first real chance to see the AC75s racing one another was the America’s Cup World Series, Auckland which took place in December 2020. This should have been followed by the Prada Christmas Cup but that too was called off – due to a lack of wind after just one lacklustre race between Emirates Team New Zealand and INEOS Team UK, which saw both teams all but drifting around the race course.
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From the racing we did see in the America’s Cup Word Series, we know that the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand look like they will be tough to beat come the America’s Cup match itself. INEOS Team UK looked to have the most work ahead of them with a very disappointing showing at ACWS Auckland.
The British team, however, have worked incredibly hard and came out of the blocks fighting and have since won all four of their opening races in the Prada Cup, signalling their intent with an impressive double win on day one.
Though the Brits have looked very strong, it is difficult to discern much difference in boat speed, with all boats seemingly performing pretty similarly across the wind range – though there have been small advantages for each in various wind speeds and directions.
The biggest news of the opening weekend of racing was the dramatic capsize, damage, and near sinking of the American challenger, American Magic.
On Monday 18th January, American Magic announced they would take no further part in the Round Robin racing for the Prada Cup with the damaged sustained by their yacht, Patriot.
How does this affect the Prada Cup?
With only three challengers taking part in the Prada Cup, the Round Robins were only designed to select the top performing challenger, who will advance straight though to the Prada Cup Final.
Second and third place in the Prada Cup Round Robin will then go into a first-to-four-wins Semi-Final with the winner going through to the Final and the loser leaving the competition. As such, with American Magic now out of the Round Robins – but hoping to repair their boat before the Semi Final begins on 29th January – they will meet either INEOS Team UK or Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the Semi Final.
Initially the final weekend of Round Robin racing was scheduled to take place over the 22nd-24th January, but without the Americans able to take part this schedule has been scaled back.
Revised Prada Cup Round Robin schedule
The new schedule will now see racing on only two days for the final Round Robin races.:
Saturday 23rd of January 2021 – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS TEAM UK – Start at 16:00 NZT (03:00 GMT)

Sunday 24th of January 2021 – INEOS TEAM UK vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – Start at 16:00 NZT (03:00 GMT)
Although American Magic have pulled out of racing, it is not quite a simple as merely awarding wins to the team they were scheduled to race against in the remaining Round Robin races. The Prada Cup organisers have released the following statement explaining how the racing will unfold over the second weekend of the Prada Cup:


In order to comply with the racing Regulations, after finishing the [rescheduled] races both competitors will have to take the start of a “ghost race” vs New York Yacht Club American Magic to allow the Regatta Director to award the point to the relevant team. The “ghost race” will then be suspended just a few minutes after the start. The rule of 25 minutes between the two starts will not apply to these “ghost races”.
Who will win the Prada Cup Round Robin?
On paper it might look as though INEOS Team UK are now the standout favourites to advance straight through to the Prada Cup Final with their four points from four races compared to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s two points from four races.
However, assuming both teams can cross the startline for the ‘ghost races’ against a non-existent American Magic – a team could feasibly sustain damage in a race and thus be unable to limp over the startline for the ‘ghost race’ – then INEOS will be two points clear of Luna Rossa.
If Luna Rossa were to beat INEOS Team UK in both of their races in the final weekend of Round Robins, they would draw even with INEOS on points, which would mean a tie-break is required.
In the rules of racing for the event, in the event of a tie, the winner will be the boat which last beat the other. As such, both wins at the weekend would see Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli go through to the Prada Cup Final.
If the British team wins either of the last two races they will progress straight to the Prada Cup Final.
Finally, if the Brits win the first race of the weekend on Saturday 23rd January and thus earn automatic progression through to the Prada Cup Final organisers have stated that: In that event the two teams will have the choice whether or not to race on Sunday. 
How does the rest of the Prada Cup work?
After the initial Round Robin, the best performing challenger goes straight to the Prada Cup final, while the two remaining challengers compete in a Semi-Final with the first team to four wins advancing to the final and the second placed team becoming the first team to be knocked out of the competition.
This Semi-Final starts in the last week of January and could run into February.
The Prada Cup Match itself (the final) will be held throughout February and the first team to seven wins will go on to challenge Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup.
What is match racing?
As is tradition for America’s Cup racing as a whole, each of these races will see one team racing a single other team, or ‘match racing’ as it is known. Match Racing is a unique discipline in the sport of sailing and is explained well by INEOS Team UK sailing team member Matt ‘Catflap‘ Cornwell in the video below.
How can I watch the Prada Cup?
All of the Prada Cup races will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, NBC Sports, TVNZ, RAI, and Sky Italia, as well as on the America’s Cup YouTube channel and Facebook page.
You can also watch via the Ineos Team UK website, which will also feature daily pre-race shows, hosted by Georgie Ainslie.
There is clearly no shortage of options available, the problem for European viewers is likely to be the timezone difference, with the Prada Cup Round Robin and Semi-Final racing taking place between 0200 and 0400 GMT, while the Prada Cup itself will take place between 0300 and 0500 GMT, so if you want to watch live, you’d better set your alarm clock!
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