Three years before the event, the candidates for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup are set. Holding the title since winning last March against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Emirates Team New Zealand has teamed up with Ineos Britannia, designated benchmark challenger, to establish the regulatory framework for the next edition of the competition, which will take place in 2024. For this occasion, the two teams have decided not to revolutionize the technical regulations, but to put in place a “version 2” of the 75-foot foiling monohulls used for the 36th edition. The elements that will have to be modified for teams using an already built boat have been specified but, for teams wishing to build a new boat, they can only have one copy. Indeed, cost reduction has been a focus of the Emirates Team New Zealand-Ineos Britannia duo. Added to this is a limit to the number of elements such as foils that can be built for the 37th America’s Cup but also the reduction in the number of people on board.
???? Exclusive update from @EmiratesTeamNZ and @ineosbritannia!
Watch the AC37 Protocol Announcement now! ????
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— americascup (@americascup) November 16, 2021
A less expensive America’s Cup
While a maximum of eleven team members was previously authorized, they will only be eight for the competition organized in 2024. In addition, an agreement has been found for this generation of boat to be maintained for the next two editions of the Coupe de America. To prepare for the event and during the first two preliminary regattas, the teams will be able to use smaller boats, the AC40s. The teams, as for two, must be composed of 100% of people of the same nationality as the team or having lived 18 months in the country concerned. Staff who participated in the 36th America’s Cup for the same team will not be affected. Teams wishing to participate in the 37th edition will have to make themselves known from December 1 and will have until July 31, 2022 to do so. The venue and dates of the competition will have to be announced by March 31, 2022, with the possibility that Auckland will not be selected by Emirates Team New Zealand.
A French team on the starting line?
Among the future opponents of Emirates Team New Zealand and Ineos Britannia, a French challenge could well line up. While no French team had attended the 36th edition, Groupama Team France took part in the 35th edition organized in Bermuda in 2017. However, according to information from the daily L’Equipe, Stéphane Kandler would be ready to attempt a once again the experience after participating in the 2007 edition, then organized in Valence, with K-Challenge. The latter would have taken advantage of the recent start of the Transat Jacques-Vabre in Le Havre to take the pulse of possible sailors interested in the challenge of setting up a new “France team” for 2024. A new team that could be a reconstruction of League dissolved with Franck Cammas and Bruno Dubois, who participated in the 2017 project. It remains to be seen whether the protocol presented this Tuesday will be in line with what is sought.
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