Great Britain are challenging for the America’s Cup for the first time in 60 years as they look to win the Auld Mug from holders New Zealand.
Ben Ainslie and his Ineos Britannia crew advanced past Italy to set up a challenge in the 37th running of the long-standing sailing competition.
First defended in 1870, a British vessel has not held the Cup since losing that opening encounter to the New York Yacht Club.
The New Zealand Yacht Squadron defended the prize in home waters in 2021 and started the 2024 edition strongly, as they raced into a 2-0 lead on the opening day after Ainslie’s crew faced technical problems.
Here’s everything you need to know:
When is the America’s Cup final?
The 37th America’s Cup is being raced from Saturday 12 October, as a first-to-seven race wins match-race series in Barcelona.
When are the race days?
- Saturday, October 12: Race 1, Race 2
- Sunday, October 13: Race 3
- Monday, October 14: Race 4 (rescheduled from Sunday)
- Wednesday, October 16: Race 5, Race 6
- Thursday, October 17: Reserve day (if required)
- Friday, October 18: Race 7, Race 8 (if required)
- Saturday, October 19: Race 9 (if required), Race 10 (if required)
- Sunday, October 20: Race 11 (if required), Race 12 (if required)
- Monday, October 21: Race 13 (if required)
- Tuesday, October22 to Sunday, October 27: Reserve days (if required)
How does it work?
The crews will race in the waters of Port Olimpic in Barcelona – a 3.2km course which requires boats to stay within a 0.9km width restriction, with a penalty if either boat strays outside.
Each race is split into six legs. The two teams race upwind on the opening leg, before sailing downwind on the second, and repeating until all six have been conquered – with the victors claiming a point towards their target of seven.
How can I watch?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the 2024 America’s Cup live on TNT Sports, with coverage beginning at 1pm BST on Sunday, October 12. Subscribers can stream via discovery+.
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