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The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known as the defender) and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup (the challenger). The winner is awarded the America's Cup trophy, informally known as the Auld Mug. Matches are held several years apart on dates agreed between the defender and the challenger. There is no fixed schedule, but the races have generally been held every three to four years.

Any yacht club that meets the requirements specified in the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup has the right to challenge the yacht club that currently holds the cup. If the challenging club wins the match, it gains stewardship of the cup. From the first defence of the cup in 1870 until the twentieth defence in 1967, there was always only one challenger. In 1970 multiple challengers applied, so a Challenger Selection Series was held to decide which applicant would become the official challenger and compete in the America's Cup match. This approach has been used for each subsequent competition.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The history and prestige associated with the America's Cup attract the world's top sailors, yacht designers, wealthy entrepreneurs, and sponsors. It is a test of sailing skill, boat and sail design, and fundraising and management skills. Competing for the cup is expensive, with modern teams spending more than US$100 million each;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the 2013 winner was estimated to have spent US$300 million on the competition.

The most recent 2024 America's Cup was held in October 2024 between the challengers, Royal Yacht Squadron's INEOS Britannia, and the defending champions, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, who won 7-2.

HistoryEdit

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The America's Cup is the oldest competition in international sport, and the fourth oldest continuous sporting trophy of any kind.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Better source needed The cup itself was manufactured in 1848 and first called the "RYS £100 Cup". It was first raced for on 22 August 1851 around the Isle of Wight off Southampton and Portsmouth in Hampshire, England, in a fleet race between the New York Yacht Club's America and 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The race was witnessed by Queen Victoria and the future Edward VII and won by America. This is considered to be the first America's Cup race.

On 8 July 1857, the surviving members of the America syndicate donated the cup to the New York Yacht Club via the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup filed with the New York Supreme Court.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The deed is the primary instrument that governs the rules to make a valid challenge for the America's Cup and the rules of conduct of the races. It states that the cup "is donated upon the condition that it shall be preserved as a perpetual challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries". The deed also outlines how a foreign yacht club can make a challenge to the holder of the cup and what happens if the clubs do not agree on the conduct of the match. The deed makes it "distinctly understood that the cup is to be the property of the club [that has most recently won a match for the cup], subject to the provisions of this deed, and not the property of the owner or owners of any vessel winning a match".

The trophy was held by the NYYC from 1857 until 1983. The NYYC successfully defended the trophy 24 times in a row before being defeated by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, represented by the yacht Australia II. Including the original 1851 victory, the NYYC's 132-year reign was the longest (in terms of time) winning streak in any sport.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Early matches for the cup were raced between yachts Template:Convert on the waterline owned by wealthy sportsmen. This culminated with the J-Class regattas of the 1930s. After World War II and almost twenty years without a challenge, the NYYC made changes to the deed of gift to allow smaller, less expensive 12-metre class yachts to compete; this class was used from 1958 until 1987. It was replaced in 1990 by the International America's Cup Class, which was used until 2007.

After a long legal battle, the 2010 America's Cup was raced in Template:Convert waterline multihull yachts in Valencia, Spain. The victorious Golden Gate Yacht Club then elected to race the 2013 America's Cup in AC72 foiling, wing-sail catamarans and successfully defended the cup. The 2017 America's Cup match was sailed in Template:Convert foiling catamarans,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> after legal battles and disputes over the rule changes.<ref>"America's Cup boat size row escalates as teams close ranks after Luna Rossa exit", The Guardian, 3 April 2015. Template:Webarchive.</ref>

The America's Cup trophyEdit

The Cup, also known as the Auld Mug, is an ornate sterling silver bottomless ewer crafted in 1848 by Garrard & Co.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, bought one and donated it for the Royal Yacht Squadron's 1851 Annual Regatta around the Isle of Wight.

The cup was originally known as the 'R.Y.S. £100 Cup', awarded in 1851 by the British Royal Yacht Squadron for a race around the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The winning yacht was a schooner called America, owned by a syndicate of members from the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). In 1857, the syndicate permanently donated the trophy to the NYYC, under a Deed of Gift that renamed the trophy as the 'America's Cup' after the first winner and required it be made available for perpetual international competition.

It was originally known as the "R.Y.S. £100 Cup", standing for a cup of a hundred GB Pounds or "sovereigns" in value. The cup was subsequently mistakenly engraved<ref name="Lawson3752">Template:Cite book</ref> as the "100 Guinea Cup" by the America syndicate, but was also referred to as the "Queen's Cup" (a guinea is an old monetary unit of one pound and one shilling, now £1.05). Today, the trophy is officially known as the "America's Cup" after the 1851 winning yacht, and is affectionately called the "Auld Mug" by the sailing community. It is inscribed with names of the yachts that competed for it,<ref name="Lawson3752" /> and has been modified twice by adding matching bases to accommodate more names.

Rules for issuing challengeEdit

All challenges for the America's Cup are made under the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup, which outlines who can challenge for the cup, and what information a challenge must provide to the defender. The deed then allows for most of the arrangements for the match to be made by negotiation and mutual consent, but provides a backstop in the event agreement is not reached. The first valid challenge that is made must be accepted by the defender or it must forfeit the cup to that valid challenger or negotiate other terms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

To be eligible, a challenging club must be "an organized yacht Club" of a country other than the defender’s, which is "incorporated, patented, or licensed by the legislature, admiralty or other executive department". The club must hold an "annual regatta [on] an ocean water course on the sea, or on an arm of the sea, or one which combines both".<ref name="Deed of Gift[1&#93">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The New York Supreme Court and the New York Court of Appeals have held that this means the challenging club must in fact "have held at least one qualifying annual regatta before it submits its Notice of Challenge to a Defender and demonstrate that it will continue to have qualifying annual regattas on an ongoing basis" and not merely intend to hold its first annual regatta before the envisaged America's Cup match.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The New York Supreme Court has also found that the Great Lakes between the United States and Canada are arms of the sea, allowing clubs with regattas on those lakes to be challengers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The challenge document must give dates for the proposed races, which must be no less than 10 months from the date the challenge is made, and within date ranges specified for both the northern and southern hemispheres. The challenge document must also provide information on the yacht, including length on load water line; beam at load water line, and extreme beam; and draught of water. If the yacht has one mast, it must be between Template:Convert on the load water line. If it has more than one mast, it must be between Template:Convert on the load water line. These dimensions may not be exceeded by either challenger or defender. The yachts must be propelled by sails only and be constructed in the country to which the challenging and defending clubs belong. Centreboard or sliding keel vessels are allowed with no restrictions nor limitations, and neither the centre-board nor sliding keel is considered a part of the vessel for any purposes of measurement.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As long as these rules are met, the New York Court of Appeals has ruled that the defender may use a boat of a different category to the challenger, such as meeting a challenge in a monohull with a catamaran.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Under the deed, the defender and challenger "may by mutual consent make any arrangement satisfactory to both as to the dates, courses, number of trials, rules and sailing regulations, and any and all other conditions of the match, in which case also the ten months' notice may be waived".<ref name="Deed of Gift[1&#93" /> Since 1958, the practice has usually been for the defender and challenger to agree that the challenger shall be a Challenger of Record, which then arranges a Challenger Series involving a number of other yacht clubs from countries other than that of the defender.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The yacht that wins the Challenger Series wins the Herbert Pell Cup and also an associated sponsored cup such as the Prada Cup in 2021 or the Louis Vuitton Cup from 1983 to 2017, and again in 2024.

However, if the challenger and defender cannot agree, the deed provides a backstop, requiring a first-to-two match on ocean courses defined in the deed, at a venue selected by the defender, under its rules and sailing regulations so far as they do not conflict with the provisions of the deed, on the dates submitted by the challenger and in yachts meeting the terms of the deed and the challenge notice.<ref name="Deed of Gift[1&#93" />

Challengers and defendersEdit

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Challengers and defenders
Rule Year Venue Defending club Defender Score Challenger Challenging club
Fleet racing 1851 Isle of Wight Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron 8 cutters and 7 schooners, runner-up Aurora 0–1 Template:Won Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club
1870 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 1–0 James Lloyd Ashbury, Cambria Template:Flagicon Royal Thames Yacht Club
Schooner
match
1871 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–1 James Lloyd Ashbury, Livonia Template:Flagicon Royal Harwich Yacht Club
1876 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 2–0 Charles Gifford, Countess of Dufferin Template:Flagicon Royal Canadian Yacht Club
65 ft sloop 1881 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 2–0 Alexander Cuthbert, Atalanta Template:Flagicon Bay of Quinte Yacht Club
NYYC 85ft 1885 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 2–0 Sir Richard Sutton, Genesta Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
1886 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 2–0 Lt. & Mrs. William Henn, Galatea Template:Flagicon Royal Northern Yacht Club
1887 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 2–0 James Bell syndicate, Thistle Template:Flagicon Royal Clyde Yacht Club
SCYC 85ft 1893 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 3–0 Earl of Dunraven, Valkyrie II Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
SCYC 90ft 1895 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 3–0 Earl of Dunraven syndicate, Valkyrie III Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
1899 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 3–0 Sir Thomas Lipton, Shamrock Template:Flagicon Royal Ulster Yacht Club
1901 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 3–0 Sir Thomas Lipton, Shamrock II Template:Flagicon Royal Ulster Yacht Club
1903 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 3–0 Sir Thomas Lipton, Shamrock III Template:Flagicon Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Universal 75 ft 1920 New York City Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 3–2 Sir Thomas Lipton, Shamrock IV Template:Flagicon Royal Ulster Yacht Club
J-Class 1930 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Sir Thomas Lipton, Shamrock V Template:Flagicon Royal Ulster Yacht Club
1934 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–2 Sir Thomas Sopwith, Endeavour Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
1937 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Sir Thomas Sopwith, Endeavour II Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
12 Metre 1958 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Hugh Goodson syndicate, Sceptre Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
1962 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–1 Sir Frank Packer, Gretel Template:Flagicon Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
1964 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Anthony Boyden, Sovereign Template:Flagicon Royal Thames Yacht Club
1967 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Emil Christensen, Dame Pattie Template:Flagicon Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
1970 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–1 Sir Frank Packer, Gretel II Template:Flagicon Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
1974 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Alan Bond, Southern Cross Template:Flagicon Royal Perth Yacht Club
1977 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–0 Alan Bond, Australia Template:Flagicon Sun City Yacht Club
1980 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Template:Won 4–1 Alan Bond, Australia Template:Flagicon Royal Perth Yacht Club
1983 Newport Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club Freedom syndicate, Liberty 3–4 Template:Won Template:Flagicon Royal Perth Yacht Club
1987 Fremantle Template:Flagicon Royal Perth Yacht Club Kevin Parry, Kookaburra III 0–4 Template:Won Template:Flagicon San Diego Yacht Club
DOG match 1988 San Diego Template:Flagicon San Diego Yacht Club Template:Won 2–0 Fay Richwhite, KZ-1 New Zealand Template:Flagicon Mercury Bay Boating Club
IACC 1992 San Diego Template:Flagicon San Diego Yacht Club Template:Won 4–1 Raul Gardini, Il Moro di Venezia Template:Flagicon Compagnia della Vela
1995 San Diego Template:Flagicon San Diego Yacht Club Sail America, Young America 0–5 Template:Won Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
2000 Auckland Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Template:Won 5–0 Prada Challenge, Luna Rossa Template:Flagicon Yacht Club Punta Ala
2003 Auckland Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Team New Zealand, NZL 82 0–5 Template:Won Template:Flagicon Société Nautique de Genève
2007 Valencia Template:Flagicon Société Nautique de Genève Template:Won 5–2 Team New Zealand, NZL-92 Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
DOG match 2010 Valencia Template:Flagicon Société Nautique de Genève Alinghi, Alinghi 5 0–2 Template:Won Template:Flagicon Golden Gate Yacht Club
AC72 2013 San Francisco Template:Flagicon Golden Gate Yacht Club Template:Won 9–8Template:Efn Team New Zealand, Aotearoa Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
AC50 2017 Bermuda Template:Flagicon Golden Gate Yacht Club Oracle Team USA, 17 1–7Template:Efn Template:WonTeam New Zealand, Aotearoa<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
AC75 2021 Auckland Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Template:WonEmirates Team New Zealand, Te Rehutai 7–3 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Luna Rossa Template:Flagicon Circolo della Vela Sicilia
2024 Barcelona Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Template:WonEmirates Team New Zealand, Taihoro 7–2 INEOS Britannia, Britannia RB3 Template:Flagicon Royal Yacht Squadron
2027 Naples Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Emirates Team New Zealand TBD TBD

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Records of winning clubs and skippersEdit

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Winning clubs

Template:Flagicon New York Yacht Club: 25–1
Template:Flagicon Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron: 5–3
Template:Flagicon San Diego Yacht Club: 3–1
Template:Flagicon Société Nautique de Genève: 2–1
Template:Flagicon Golden Gate Yacht Club: 2–1
Template:Flagicon Royal Perth Yacht Club: 1–3

Multiple winning skippers

Template:Flagicon Peter Burling – Wins 2017, 2021, 2024 – Won 22 / Lost 6
Template:Flagicon Russell Coutts – Wins 1995, 2000, 2003 – Won 14 / Lost 0
Template:Flagicon Dennis Conner – Wins 1980, 1987, 1988 – Won 13 / Lost 9
Template:Flagicon Harold Stirling Vanderbilt – Wins 1930, 1934, 1937 – Won 12 / Lost 2
Template:Flagicon Charlie Barr – Wins 1899, 1901, 1903 – Won 9 / Lost 0
Template:Flagicon Jimmy Spithill – Wins 2010, 2013 – Won 17 / Lost 23

Reference<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In popular cultureEdit

In 1928, Goodyear chairman Paul W. Litchfield began a tradition of naming the company's blimps after America's Cup yachts, including America, Puritan, Mayflower, Volunteer, Vigilant, Defender, Reliance, Resolute, Enterprise, Rainbow, Ranger, Columbia and Stars & Stripes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 1988 parody film Return of the Killer Tomatoes included background TV coverage of "Full Contact America's Cup" yacht racing.

The 1992 film Wind is largely about the America's Cup racing towards the end of the 12-meter era. Although the names have been changed, it is largely about Dennis Conner's 1980s loss and comeback.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The documentary The Wind Gods: 33rd America's Cup (2011) centres around Oracle Team USA's efforts to challenge for the 33rd America's Cup.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> David Ellison collaborated with American journalist Julian Guthrie on the film; Guthrie later authored The Billionaire and the Mechanic, a non-fiction book detailing the history of Oracle Team USA.

In 2021, Australian psychedelic rock band Pond released a single titled America's Cup.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song centres around the gentrification of Western Australia and Fremantle, the host city of the 1987 America's Cup, after Australia's victory of the 1983 America's Cup with the yacht Australia II.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The music video prominently features the America's Cup trophy being 'auctioned' off to the highest bidder.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2022, Netflix released Untold: The Race of the Century, a film about the Australian team's win in the 1983 race.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See alsoEdit

<ref>https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sailing/americas-cup/americas-cup-peter-burling-becomes-winningest-helmsman-in-cup-match-history-with-team-nz-race-win/HNL2NJKIBZEEPODNSN7Z3BMJVE/</ref>

ReferencesEdit

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SourcesEdit

External linksEdit

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