The 37th America’s Cup will begin with a preliminary regatta in Barcelona, Spain. This event will allow teams to test their AC75 racing yachts before the official competitions. Team New Zealand, the defending champions, will race against Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and face four other teams over the next three days.
The challengers in this year’s America’s Cup include teams from Switzerland, the USA, Great Britain, and France. These teams will compete in a series of races, leading to semifinals and finals to decide who will challenge Team New Zealand for the Cup in October.
Team New Zealand, who won the Cup in 2021, will participate in the qualifying rounds but won’t need to compete in the semifinals since they are already guaranteed a spot in the final match. Their yacht, named Taihoro, will be tested during this regatta.
Kiwi commentator Chris Steele described the regatta as a “curtain-raiser,” noting that it doesn’t count towards the final outcome but is crucial for teams and spectators to preview the competition. Despite some early setbacks, like Alinghi breaking their mast during practice, all teams are expected to put on a strong performance.
The America’s Cup series will continue with qualifying races at the end of August, leading up to the final match in mid-October.
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