The Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, Great Britain, was yesterday confirmed as the yacht club that will be Challenger of Record for the 38th America’s Cup \u2013 plus we take a look at what might be next for the oldest trophy in sport?November 28, 2023. America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Jeddah presented by NEOM, 29th Nov – 2nd Dec 2023. The America\u2019s Cup in Jeddah.It was one of the less well kept secrets in sailing, but yesterday it was confirmed that \u2013 fresh from their biggest success in the event in 90 years \u2013 Britain will again compete in the next America\u2019s Cup.
\nAs the victorious Emirates Team New Zealand team began their media rounds, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Shoebridge confirmed that a challenge had been accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve accepted a Challenge this afternoon but we\u2019ll leave that for a separate announcement,\u201d he said initially.
\nHowever, shortly afterwards INEOS Britannia skipper and team boss Ben Ainslie confirmed that the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, had indeed challenged for the 38th America\u2019s Cup and their Challenge had been accepted. The British are now Challenger of Record for the second consecutive event.
\nGrant Dalton congratulates INEOS Britannia backer Sir Jim Ratcliffe on winning the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. Both teams\u2019 yacht clubs, the RNZYS and RYS, will be represented in the 38th America\u2019s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\n\u201cYeah, well, the Royal Yacht Squadron have signed up again to be the challenger of Record for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron,\u201d he told the waiting press.
\n\u201cWe had a great partnership through this last Cup. I think you saw with the Protocol \u2013 such a progressive protocol this time around, particularly with the Women\u2019s America\u2019s Cup.
\n\u201cAnd there\u2019s so much more we can do with the event. I think this has been a huge success, but there\u2019s so much more potential in the America\u2019s Cup. So it\u2019s on us now to work with the Kiwis and try and help them as a Defender to promote that.\u201d
\nBertie Bicket, chairman of Royal Yacht Squadron Racing, being interviewed as the Royal Yacht Squadron is confirmed as Challenger of Record for the 38th America\u2019s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nHost venue for the 38th America\u2019s Cup?
\nAs ever, due to the unique structure of the America\u2019s Cup, there are now many questions about what the event\u2019s future might look like.
\nWhile the decision makers are all in Barcelona, the question of host venue is among the most pressing.
\nThe Spanish city created a genuine spectacle for the final of the America\u2019s Cup, with phenomenal crowds \u2013 including a truly impressive number of black shirted Emirates Team New Zealand supporters \u2013 lining Port Vell, a fleet of superyachts racked half a dozen deep and sparking sunshine yesterday setting up an event finale that will last long in the memory.
\nSuperyachts and spectator boats accompany Emirates Team New Zealand, the winners of the 37th America\u2019s Cup, back into Barcelona port. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nAs a location, Barcelona also delivered handsomely with the team bases set around the port alongside comprehensive superyacht infrastructure (plus Palma is just a short hop away). Onshore multiple event villages \u2013 all free to enter \u2013 generated a real sporting atmosphere, and the Mediterranean climate and \u2018promenade\u2019 tradition guaranteed good footfall. Though there were also protests at the event\u2019s presence in the city, part of a wider discontent with Barcelona\u2019s very high tourism numbers.
\nThe acknowledged negative of Barcelona as a venue \u2013 primarily the light, unpredictable winds at the close of season, combined with a challenging sea state \u2013 proved to be not as much of a problem as anticipated.
\nThe spectator support for the 37th America\u2019s Cup in Barcelona has been impressive. Photo: Ana Ponce \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nThe AC75 rule changes, which were designed to ensure the boats could foil in lighter breezes, meant that we saw far fewer races decided by boats crawling along in painful displacement mode than in AC36. For much of the competition race days the breeze was, in fact, actually stronger than the worst case scenarios modelled by teams meteorologists.
\nThere\u2019s certainly been no confirmation that it will be Barcelona once again \u2013 though there are lots of positive noises being made about the venue.
\nWhen asked whether Barcelona would play a part in the event\u2019s future, Kevin Shoebridge said \u201cAs a venue? I hope so, but no decisions about that stage. Hopefully in the next week or two we\u2019ll put out a timetable when decisions like that will get made.\u201d
\nDefenders Emirates Team New Zealand wouldn\u2019t immediately be drawn on whether the event would return to Barcelona for the 38th America\u2019s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nPotential other venues for AC38?
\nOther venues which have been variously rumoured include Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which would be a fundamental change of tone for the event, but would likely come with significant financial support for the event.
\nAnd, of course, the Defenders could choose to take it home.
\nAuckland, home of the 36th America\u2019s Cup, still has the infrastructure to support a return of the Cup, though it would be unlikely to generate the same level funding that the notoriously parsimonious Kiwi team would need to lodge a fourth successful campaign.
\nBut one thing was striking in Barcelona this autumn: the narrative from outside New Zealand in recent years might\u2019ve been that public support for America\u2019s Cup at home had waned due to bigger-picture issues. The global cost of living crisis makes sourcing public funding for a multimillionaires\u2019 yacht race challenging in any country, but particularly in a nation as small as New Zealand.
\nBarcelona\u2019s Port Vell, home of the Louis Vuitton 37th America\u2019s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nYet even the briefest walk around Barcelona revealed the passion and commitment of thousands of Kiwi supporters to back their team \u2013 flying tens of thousands of miles to do so. Perhaps there is pressure to honour that loyalty and commitment with a home event \u2013 a Preliminary event, if not the Cup Match itself?
\nIn terms of time frame, Emirates Team New Zealand team boss Grant Dalton has dropped heavy hints that he would like to see a quick turnaround for the next Cup \u2013 telling New Zealand outlet Stuff back in September that he could \u201cpossibly foresee, very likely, a new edition of the Cup in 2026.\u201d The timing would also depend on which hemisphere the Cup is set to be in.
\nBoat or crew changes for the 38th America\u2019s Cup ?
\nIt\u2019s widely understood that there is an agreement in existence that the AC75s will continue as the class for the future Cup (though, as with all elements of America\u2019s Cup, everything can theoretically be subject to renegotiation. The Cup is certainly no stranger to legal wranglings).
\nIt\u2019s definitely too early to speculate whether that would likely involve a refinement or a more comprehensive overall of the AC75 rule. But there have been some intriguing hints dropped by key players from both the Defender and Challenger of Record.
\nWhen asked about the development of the class in the pre-America\u2019s Cup Match press conference INEOS Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie said:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s really interesting the technical development of these AC75 yachts, and the automation of how the yachts are sailed. And at what point does automation become too much and the human interface is not as relevant as it should be?
\n\u201cI think we\u2019re probably getting close to this line, but it\u2019s been a fascinating development.\u201d
\nEmirates Team New Zealand lead designer Dan Bernasconi \u2013 who will be pivotal in any rule change \u2013 also said yesterday: \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t want to make changes that make the existing boats obsolete.
\n\u201cWe could probably look at the crew configuration again. and look again at the rules around how the controls work.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of automation on these boats. In some ways that means there\u2019s less need for as many sailors doing sailing roles. Personally I\u2019d be keen to maybe remove a bit of that automation and have a need for more sailors actually sailing the boat.\u201d
\nEmirates Team New Zealand lead designer Dan Bernasconi speaking after the team won the 37th America\u2019s Cup in Barcelona. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nFuture of women in the America\u2019s Cup?
\nSo, there may be a drive to remove some of the automation of the AC75s, potentially increase the number of sailors on the boat, and to build on the momentum of the Women\u2019s and Youth America\u2019s Cups.
\nIf that\u2019s the case, then one possible avenue would be to create an additional \u2018sailor\u2019 role that would mandated as female (and\/or youth) crew position within the America\u2019s Cup crews?
\n\u201cThere\u2019s no reason now with these boats not to have women on board,\u201d Stephane Kandler, CEO of Orient Express Team France told me yesterday.
\n\u201cAnd if we could put more sailors on board, we should have women on board for sure.
\n\u201cWe talked about it as challengers. And I think everybody\u2019s quite keen, which is a big change.\u201d
\nThe first ever Puig Women\u2019s America\u2019s Cup has been widely heralded as a success, with the all-female crews using matched AC40s. But is there an opportunity to see women onboard the AC75s in the 38th America\u2019s Cup? Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nOne solution that\u2019s been mooted would be to replace one of the \u2018cyclor\u2019 positions and use more stored power. \u201cIn reality, you don\u2019t really need [the cyclors]. If you want, you could put two women on board \u2013 as a minimum or whatsoever. I think this would be amazing,\u201d added Kandler.
\nCo-CEO of Orient Express Team France Bruno Dubois echoed the sentiment, saying: \u201cI really hope there are some rules coming into place for that: on the 75 for Women and Youth. But for youth probably older than 25, so I would say under 30 like the Ocean Race would be better.\u201d
\nIn the interview linked above, however, Dalton has said: \u201cWe would never mandate a woman on the (AC75) boat, ever.\u201d
\nStephan Kandler of Orient Express Racing Team is among those who believe a women\u2019s position on the AC75 would be a positive move. Photo: Ian Roman
\nWe\u2019ll have an in-depth look at the 37th America\u2019s Cup and the future of the 38th in the next issue of Yachting World magazine, plus follow for all of our\u00a02024 America\u2019s Cup coverage.
\nThe post British confirmed as Challenger of Record for 38th America\u2019s Cup: but what next for the Cup? appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, Great Britain, was yesterday confirmed as the yacht club that will be Challenger of Record for the 38th America’s Cup \u2013 plus we take a look at what might be next for the oldest … <\/p>\n