Details announced for the 37th America’s Cup – no venue yet, but reduced crew numbers, 100 percent nationality rule – and cyclors could be making a comebackAmerica\u2019s Cup Defender, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Emirates Team New Zealand) and the Challenger of Record the Royal Yacht Squadron (INEOS Britannia) have today, Tuesday 16 November, released the Protocol for the next America\u2019s Cup.
\nThere has been a great deal of speculation as to where the 37th edition of the America\u2019s Cup would be held, but this information (and a number of other specifics) is missing from the protocol.
\nTraditionally the Defender defends the trophy in their home country but wrangling over hosting costs and funding for the home team may potentially see Emirates Team New Zealand take their defence overseas.
\nIt was widely rumoured ahead of this Protocol announcement that a venue was unlikely to be released so few will be surprised this has yet to be confirmed. However, there is now a timeline to that crucial information being shared, with 31 March, 2022 now the official date by which this will be announced.
\nThe 31 March deadline is also when the date of the next America\u2019s Cup will be made public.<\/p>\n
Grant Dalton, Defender Emirates Team New Zealand\u2019s CEO, admitted that the original deadline for a venue announcement of September 17, 2021 was \u201ctoo ambitious, I\u2019ll put my hands up there. But what it has done is focussed the mind.
\n\u201cWe haven\u2019t got a venue as of today, but it\u2019s certainly my major focus \u2013 especially now we have a Protocol.\u201d Dalton pointed out the fact that his team is working 24-7 on the venue agreement, with a dual pronged approach led by New Zealand and Team Origin in the UK operating on opposing time zones.
\nIn the Protocol announcement, Dalton said: \u201cAs we saw with AC36, after 170 years, as the oldest trophy in international sport, the America\u2019s Cup maintains its unique position of balancing the traditions of the Deed of Gift while continuing to push the boundaries of innovation, technology and design in the boats, the event, the broadcast and the commercial aspects of the event.
\nMaintaining this balance is the ongoing challenge and responsibility of the Defender and Challenger of Record as we aim to progress into the 37th edition of the America\u2019s Cup in the ever-changing environment and demands of global sports as well as a determination to drive sustainability through innovation via hydrogen technology for the marine sector which we both believe is reflected in this Protocol.\u201d
\nINEOS Britannia CEO and Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie said: \u201cAs Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia has sought with the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, to make the next America\u2019s Cup less expensive and more inclusive.
\n\u201cThe Protocol this time around will see reduced team operating costs without compromising any of the technical development which the Cup is so famous for. There is an opportunity for change, so for AC37 we will see the first Women\u2019s America\u2019s Cup Regatta and we also welcome back the Youth America\u2019s Cup.\u201d
\nAC75 retained
\nThe AC75 from the last round of America\u2019s Cup racing will be retained, though with a slightly modified ruleset. These changes should be small enough to allow for new challengers to buy an old generation AC75 and make it class legal.
\nDalton explained, \u201cIt\u2019s about building a fleet. If you want to encourage more teams, you have to create a fleet that people can buy to get going.\u201d
\nIn a nod to trying to get new teams signed up via this route \u2013 which would likely prove cheaper than starting from scratch \u2013 existing teams are not permitted to sail their AC75s\u2019 before the 17th September 2022, however new Challengers entering AC37 that have purchased a second hand AC75 are permitted to sail their AC75 for 20 days from 17th June 2022.
\nEmirates Team New Zealand sailing their AC75 in the last America\u2019s Cup
\nSignificant changes for the AC75 include the reduction in crew from 11 to 8 sailors. \u201cThere\u2019s a couple of benefits from that [crew reduction],\u201d explained Ainslie, \u201cobviously it reduces the weight of the boat. Together with some other changes, subtle changes to be made to the class rule, means I think we\u2019re saving about a tonne of weight out of the boat, which coupled with the increase in wingspan, will drastically improve the light air performance, which I think we all agreed on the back of the last event, is important.\u00a0
\n\u201cAlso, it reduces the budget having less sailors,\u201d Ainslie added. \u201cI mean, there\u2019s a limit until at what point you take more and more sailors off the boat. But that was something which actually was discussed with most of the teams, if not all of the teams from the last cycle, in quite a collaborative meeting not long after the last Cup.\u201d
\nWith fewer sailors the question of how to generate enough power whilst also maintaining full control will be top of each sailing team\u2019s mind, and \u2013 love them or loathe them \u2013 the door is open for \u2018cyclors\u2019 or leg-powered grinding to return.
\nDalton explained: \u201cThe rule is silent. You don\u2019t have to go there, but I guess we will because we\u2019ve got a bit of knowledge in that area too, but I just thought it was bloody cool and why not bring it back?\u00a0 Or give teams the option to bring it back.\u201d
\nLove it or loathe it, \u2018cyclor power\u2019 could be back for the next America\u2019s Cup.
\nAlthough the New Zealand team innovated the original cyclor configuration, for INEOS Britannia this rule change could be a potential benefit.
\n\u201cIf you take the viewpoint that we\u2019re going to go down the cyclor route, will you bring in athletes from other sports who potentially are better suited?,\u201d Ainslie told Yachting World. \u201cCycling is an obvious link there. And we\u2019re fortunate with the INEOS sports group and the Grenadiers that we\u2019re partnered with arguably the world\u2019s leading cycling team. So that will have an impact on the sailor selection, athlete selection and their training.\u00a0
\n\u201cBut it\u2019s still going to require input to get these boats around the track. As in the last Cup, we saw close to pretty much all of the sailors having an input at one time or another with the manoeuvres of these boats. And I\u2019d expect that to be similar again in this next cycle.\u201d
\nThose crew must also be passport-holders for the country they represent, or have spent \u201c548 days between (but excluding) 17 March 2018 and 18 March 2021\u201d in that country.
\nOther innovations on the AC75 include a closed-loop system which is designed to reduce power loss. Winches, for example, have been replaced by hydraulics, so settings can be more accurately replicated without spilling power. Runners and the bowsprit have also been removed.
\nSecond generation AC75s
\nCost reductions
\nOther efforts to rein in costs include rules that:<\/p>\n
Teams are only permitted to build one new AC75.
\n Limitations on the quantity of foils and components that can be built for the AC75\u2019s.
\n The introduction of the multipurpose One Design AC40 class for a Youth America\u2019s Cup, Women\u2019s America\u2019s Cup class which teams will be able to convert and use for testing, component development and Match Race training.
\n This AC40 class will then be converted back to the measured One Design AC40 class for use in the new America\u2019s Cup Women\u2019s Regatta and America\u2019s Cup Youth events. These events have been developed to create new accelerated inclusive pathways into the America\u2019s Cup for the growing global talent pool of female and youth sailors.
\n Further One design elements.
\n Supplied starting software.
\n The AC75 class of boat will be maintained for the next two events, and entering teams will be expected to subscribe to that agreement.
\nWhilst not a cost-saving exercise, teams are also required to develop hydrogen powered chase boats to reduce the event\u2019s environmental impact.<\/p>\n
Hydrogen powered America\u2019s Cup chase boat in development in New Zealand
\nDrive to Survive\u00a0on the water
\nFinally there had been a rumour that America\u2019s Cup organisers where considering a behind the scenes show to accompany the racing \u2013 widely seen as a reaction to the success of Netflix\u2019s Formula 1 behind the scenes show, Drive to Survive.
\nThis concept is confirmed in the Protocol, though only loosely stating that: With a view to opening the doors and the continued drive to increase the global audience of the America\u2019s Cup and the sport of sailing, a condition of entry to competitors is they agree to be part of a potential behind-the-scenes documentary series. The intention of this is to bring the secrecy, the drama and all the teams\u2019 personalities into the limelight.
\nNo more America\u2019s Cup spying
\nThe trade-off for this degree of openness is that reconnaissance \u2013 or spying \u2013 between teams will be banned. Instead there will transparent publication of data, open to both teams and fans, including details of which team is sailing with new foils, number of sailing days they have spent on the water, days lost to repairs etc
\nThe approach has two aims \u2013 to reduce costs to the teams, and also to help grow the America\u2019s Cup audience by feeding information to the public in the build up to competition.\u00a0
\nThe big question will be whether the new Protocol \u2013 and the new open approach \u2013 overcomes the Defender\u2019s traditional advantage? Speaking after the announcement, Ainslie said:\u00a0
\n\u201c\u200b\u200bI wouldn\u2019t say they [Emirates Team New Zeaalnd] have given up all the advantages of being the Defender, but they\u2019ve certainly given up a few, and I think we\u2019ve got to applaud that.\u201d
\n37th America\u2019s Cup timeline
\nTimeline for the 37th America\u2019s Cup
\n\u200b\u200b2021
\n17th November 2021: AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule V2 Published.
\n1st December 2021: Entries for Challengers Open.
\n2022
\n31st March 2022: Defender to announce Match Venue and approximate event dates.
\n17th June 2022: New competitors may sail Version 1 AC75\u2019s for 20 sailing days.
\n31st July 2022: Entry Period Closes.
\n17th September 2022: Competitors may sail an AC75 Yacht.
\n30th November 2022: ACE to announce race schedule for the Match.
\n30th November 2022: ACE to announce racing area for CSS and Match.
\n31st December 2022: ACE to publish Brand Manual.
\n2023
\n31st May 2023: Final cut off for late Challenger entries.
\n30th June 2023: ACE to publish Youth and Women\u2019s AC Agreement.
\n30th June 2023: COR\/D to publish Match Conditions.
\n30th November 2023: COR\/D to publish CSS Conditions.<\/p>\n
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The post America\u2019s Cup: Protocol released for 37th AC appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Details announced for the 37th America’s Cup – no venue yet, but reduced crew numbers, 100 percent nationality rule – and cyclors could be making a comebackAmerica\u2019s Cup Defender, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Emirates Team New Zealand) and the … <\/p>\n