As the Paris Olympic Games roll into action this week the other big sporting beast in the room, is pushing out some media reminders.
The Olympic Games will obilterate world-wide media over the next couple of weeks, and although the 37th America’s Cup is a more limited niche event, it is keen to remind the sailing world that this is also its big year.
Both the America’s Cup Event (ACE) and Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) are getting the word out ahead of the Olympic tsunami . . .
Following hot on the heels of the Olympic Closing Ceremony on Sunday 11 August comes The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup preceded by the third and final Preliminary Regatta, starting on Thursday 22 August.
The Barcelona Preliminary Regatta is a non-scoring race event in which the defender, ETNZ, gets to ‘race’ with the five challengers, running through to Sunday 25 August.
This comprises of a series of match races, with four races per day to arrive a Final match race between the top two teams.
Following very quickly on this ‘false-dawn’ event will be The Louis Vuitton Cup – Challenger Selection Series from 29 August to 7 October.
This is the event that decides who will get to compete against the Cup holders, Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ).
Although Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia team are the Challenger of Record, this gives them no on-water advantage when it comes to actually competing in the America’s Cup Match, that is decided by this Challenger Selection event.
In this event the five Challengers and the Defender will compete in a double Round Robin series, with one challenger being eliminated.
The Series comprises of a double Round Robin stage – Defender ETNZ will then withdraw – and the four remaining challengers will race in a first-to-five-points Semi-Final, with the two winners advancing a two-boat Match Race Final.
This has been the stumbling point for recent British America’s Cup challengers, none making it to meet the Defender in an actual America’s Cup Match.
The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final becomes the actual Challenger and will meet the Defender ETNZ in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match from 12 October 2024.
Meanwhile there is the little matter of the Paris Olympic Games.
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Your Summer of Sport – The EURO CUP, the Paris Olympics . . . and The America’s Cup?
