America’s Cup schedule revealed, Team New Zealand to race rivals in Louis Vuitton Cup

NZ Herald

21 Jan, 2024 10:38 PM3 mins to read

The schedule was revealed this morning for the Preliminary Regatta, Louis Vuitton Cup and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match. Photo / Emirates Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand will get the advantage of racing against rival challengers in the Louis Vuitton Cup ahead of their latest defence of the America’s Cup in Barcelona later this year.

The schedule was revealed this morning for the Preliminary Regatta, Louis Vuitton Cup and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match.

All six America’s Cup teams will contest the Preliminary Regatta between August 22-25 which will be the first time the new AC75′s will line up to provide some vital performance insight between the teams.

Just four days later, as written in the Protocol governing the 37th America’s Cup, the Louis Vuitton Cup will begin with two Round Robins. All six competing teams will be racing, including the defender Emirates Team New Zealand.

The double Round Robin racing is scheduled to finish on September 8 and will be the last time Team New Zealand will race against the challenger entries before the 37th America’s Cup Match.

“This is almost certainly the highest Challenger standard seen in the America’s Cup in the past 25 years and the winner will be battle-hardened having come through the white-hot intensity of the Louis Vuitton Cup,” Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand and America’s Cup Events (ACE), said.

“For Emirates Team New Zealand, we will have seen the competitiveness early in the Round Robin stage, but it will be a very different and interesting challenge for us to overcome when it comes to the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. It’s going to be a classic Cup contest.”

Team New Zealand’s races in the Round Robin stage will not count towards the semifinal rankings. With five challenger entries it means four will advance to the next stage with one team being eliminated.

The top qualifier will select their semifinal opponent and in each half of the semifinal draw it’s a first-to-five, best of nine race format.

There can be no room for error from the challengers, no off days. The schedule rewards consistency and the opportunity to select your opponent after finishing top at the series conclusion of the second round robin is immense.

The Louis Vuitton Cup Final will see the winning semifinalists battle it out for the right to face Team New Zealand in the 37th America’s Cup Match after a best-of-13 (first to seven) series.

The format for the America’s Cup Match itself is also a best-of-13 races (first to seven) with an expected conclusion by October 21 (Reserve days are scheduled for October 22-27 if required.)