America’s Cup 2021: Schedule, Format, Teams, Key men to watch, Preview, and all things you need to know

The 36th America’s Cup between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa of Italy will happen this month in Auckland, New Zealand. Initially planned from 6–15 March, the series between the two teams, each representing yacht clubs in their respective home countries, will presently begin no sooner than 10 March in and around Waitematā Harbour.

The 36th America’s Cup – one of sailing’s most prestigious events and the oldest trophy in international sport – is set to get in progress later this month in Auckland, New Zealand, as Emirates Team New Zealand takes in Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team of Italy.

There are two races scheduled for Wednesday, Friday, and through the weekend to Monday at least, with Sunday being the earliest date for one team to get the seven successes required for triumph. Thursday is the only scheduled rest day, and if a winner isn’t found by Monday, racing will proceed with every day until one team arrives at the seven-win mark.

There is no lack of Olympians partaking in the race, either, with the two teams having an abundance of involvement among their crews.

America’s Cup has seen one of the longest series of wins taking all things together of sport; including the inaugural race, the New York Yacht Club won 25 series in succession from 1851 to 1980. They were at last defeated in the 25th challenge in 1983 by Australia’s Royal Perth Yacht Club.

In recent years, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has been the best club, winning three of the last seven America’s Cups.

The two teams included for this present year actually met in the 2000 America’s Cup (even though Luna Rossa represented an alternate club that year), with Emirates Team New Zealand winning 5–0.

When is America’s Cup 2021?

The 36th America’s Cup match was scheduled to play out on March 6-15 between the hours of 03:00-05:00 GMT. In any case, Auckland moved into a level three lockdown at 6 am local time on Sunday, February 28, with the first and second days’ racing presently postponed. Coordinators have said they won’t happen before March 10.

Teams included and key men to watch

Two teams will vie for the 36th America’s Cup: Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, representing Italy’s Circolo Della Vela Sicilia yacht club.

Luna Rossa was selected as the final challenger to Emirates Team New Zealand after winning the Prada Challenger’s Trophy a month ago.

The Italians beat the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic team in a 4-0 semi-final sweep, before a staggering 7-1 final series triumph against hot favorites and round-robin winners INEOS Team UK, led by the most-decorated Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie.

Luna Rossa’s yacht, likewise named Luna Rossa, is jointly helmed by Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill. Bruni is a three-time Italian Olympian, while two-time sailing world champion Spithill is no more interesting in accomplishment in America’s Cup, having skippered Oracle Team USA to wins in 2010 and 2013.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Shannon Falcone is the only other individual from Luna Rossa with an America’s Cup win added to his belt, having been important for Spithill’s team in 2013.

Olympic 49er champion Peter Burling gets back to helm defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand, having become the most youthful helmsman to win America’s Cup in 2017. His Olympic crewmate Blair Tuke is likewise back for a second crack as the team’s flight controller.

Beijing 2008 silver medallist Glenn Ashby holds his spot as Emirates Team New Zealand’s captain, while they can likewise depend on Commonwealth Games, world, and Olympic medal-winning track cyclist Simon van Velthooven in their ranks.

Team New Zealand vs Luna Rossa 2021 Prada Cup Preview

America’s Cup was established in 1851 by the Royal Yacht Squadron, a club based on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The trophy is so named after the victor of that first race, the New York Yacht Club’s America. Because of this, the 1870 race – when the New York Yacht Club defeated the Royal Thames Yacht Club – is viewed as first America’s Cup.

Additionally racing for the Italians is three-time Olympian Francesco Bruni. The 47-year-old made his Olympic debut at Atlanta in 1996 where he completed 12th in the laser class. His attempts at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 didn’t yield a medal yet his depth of involvement will be a resource out at sea.

Bruni knows about his present team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, as he initially raced with them back in 2003 when it was known as Luna Rossa Challenge.

Ainslie has been racing in America’s Cup since 2005 and carries with him an abundance of involvement. He was fundamental in Oracle Team USA’s striking turnaround triumph against Emirates Team New Zealand in 2013.

2021 America’s Cup format

Each club will use AC75-class foiling monohulls measuring – as the name recommends – 75 feet (22.86 meters) long.

Each yacht can achieve top speeds of around 50 knots (around 90 km/h), with Te Rehutai, Emirates Team New Zealand’s yacht for the contest, recording 49.1 knots while sailing in December during the America’s Cup World Series.

The two yachts will race in a head-to-head best-of-13 match race series in and around Auckland Harbour, off the eastern coast of the city. The first yacht to seven points will secure the 36th America’s Cup.

Five courses, each around 1.7 nautical miles (around 3 km) long, have been ready for the series. They are totally situated in the Hauraki Gulf in or close to the Harbour, considering public review from the land.

2021 America’s Cup schedule

The 13-race series was expected to be held from 6–15 March, with races on 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 March. Notwithstanding, the initial four races in the series– two races each on the first two scheduled race-days – have been delayed to a later date because of expanded anti-coronavirus limitations in Auckland.

Coordinators have shown no races will be held before 10 March, when two races are set to happen.

While the original plan was to race before spectators – New Zealand has permitted face to face participation at sporting events with not many limitations for a few months – the America’s Cup coordinators have said they will ask for an allowance to race under local “Level 3” limitations without fans “to keep as many options open as possible”.

On race days, the first race is scheduled for 03:12 UTC/GMT (16:12 local time), and on days with two races the second race is set to get in progress an hour after the first.

Tentative race schedule

All times are New Zealand Daylight Time (UTC/GMT +13 hours). Right starting at 1 March 2021.

The port-side team listed first; the star-board side team listed second

10 March 2021

• Race 1 (4:12 pm) Emirates Team New Zealand – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
• Race 2 (5:12 pm) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team – Emirates Team New Zealand

12 March 2021

• Race 3 (4:12 pm) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team – Emirates Team New Zealand
• Race 4 (5:12 pm) Emirates Team New Zealand – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team

13 March 2021

• Race 5 (4:12 pm) Emirates Team New Zealand – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
• Race 6 (5:12 pm) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team – Emirates Team New Zealand

14 March 2021

• Race 7 (4:12 pm) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team – Emirates Team New Zealand
• Race 8 (5:12 pm) Emirates Team New Zealand – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team

15 March 2021

• Race 9 (4:12 pm) Emirates Team New Zealand – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team

Four races to be rescheduled from 6 and 7 March.

Fan participation, ticket, and broadcast information for the 36th America’s Cup

Albeit influenced by Auckland’s local Covid-19 limitations, observer access to the races is usually free-of-charge from the Auckland waterfront.

There is an America’s Cup Village open to the public (limitations permitting) in the city, with access to the team bases of all teams included. Big screens have likewise been set up for public review.

Should fans, at last, be considered the race series, hospitality packages are on sale.

The series will likewise be broadcast online on America’s Cup website, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as on selected telecasters on TV around the world.

America’s Cup 2021 Live Stream

The essential target of the live transmission of the 36th America’s Cup is to make this the most viewed and available America’s Cup competition. To guarantee both the most accessible and most complete live and features coverage from telecasters in well more than 195 regions, the 36th America’s Cup has partnered with free-to-air and pay networks.

Each race of America’s Cup will be shown live on Sky Sports, normally Sky Sports Mix. The BBC will be additionally be showing decisive race days. America’s Cup YouTube channel likewise has a live stream.