Sunday, May 5, 2024

Countdown to the America’s Cup

 

 

Only 108 days to the 37th Americas Cup!

 

https://www.americascup.com/37th-americascup-barcelona

 

Taking place in Barcelona this time.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Barcelona,+Spain/@41.7012818,1.1990642,7.25z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x12a49816718e30e5:0x44b0fb3d4f47660a!8m2!3d41.3873974!4d2.168568!16zL20vMDFmNjI?entry=ttu

 

The competition was initiated by the British in 1851 with a race between the British and the Americans around the Isle of Wight (53 miles), with the prize being a silver cup.  The race was won by the Americans, the winning boat being named the America, and thus the name of the cup for all the races since then.  The Americans successfully defended the cup 24 times in a row, for 132 years, until 1983 when Australia took it away.  The cup, originally provided by the British, has been held by the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland.  The Brits, of course, want the cup back, but in all these years, have not managed to get it.  They created the cup itself but have never won it.

 

New Zealand defending.  Britain, Switzerland, Italy, USA, and France battling for the honor to challenge New Zealand for the cup.  The America’s Cup itself begins October 7th.  The Louis Vuitton Cup, where the challengers all race each other to determine who gets to race New Zealand, starts August 29th.

 

The boats will be about 20 meters long, with masts almost 37 meters high, and will fly above the water on foils, achieving up to 10 times the wind speed.  Expect 40-50 knots out of sailboats!

 

The charge for attending to watch the races?  Nothing.  No ticketing.  It is open to all.  Some of us might watch it on television.

 

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