America's Cup at Plymouth
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COVERAGE...
September 10th, 2011, sees a remarkable event return to UK
shores, as the ground-breaking fleet of contenders for the 34th
America's Cup sails in to Plymouth for a week of world-class
competition.
With its origins in a
race that took place around the Isle of Wight in 1851, the
America's Cup is the oldest active trophy in international sport.
Originally awarded by the Royal Yacht Squadron to the schooner
'America', who won the maiden challenge, the splendid sterling
silver ewer, donated by Field Marshall Henry William Paget, 1st
Marquess of Anglesey, was renamed The America's Cup after the
triumphant vessel.
It was subsequently donated to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC)
under terms specified in a Deed of Gift that made it eligible for
international competition. So the America's Cup World Series really
is returning to its spiritual home with this, its first competition
on British shores in 160 years.
Putting together a bid that enables a potential challenger to
meet the requirements set down in the Deed of Gift is no mean feat.
Today, even dreaming of challenging for the Cup requires the best
designers, boats, crew and management teams in the world, and a
budget to match.
The boats that have been built for the current series of
challenges, which culminate in San Francisco in 2013, are different
again to anything that has gone before. They are AC45 wingsailed
catamarans, which isolate their crew members on slender pods
suspended on either side of their vast sails. Technically superior
and intimidating in both concept and performance, crewing them
requires bravery, stamina and skill of the highest order.
These catamarans will be
raced in 2011 and into the first months of 2012 and are designed to
give new teams an opportunity to learn the tricks of wing-sailed
multi-hulls as they build their own larger AC72s - the
revolutionary catamarans that will be raced in San Francisco in
2013.
One defender, Oracle Racing of the USA, will attempt to hold her
record against no less than seven world class challengers, led by
the Challenger of Record, Artemis Racing of Sweden.
There will be four events over nine days, starting on September
10th: the Plymouth America's Cup Open, the America's Cup 500 Speed
Trial, the America's Cup Match Racing Championship and the
America's Cup World Series Plymouth Championship, so be sure to
book
your berth at Plymouth Yacht Haven for the most
spectacular week of racing in Britain this side of the Olympics,
and possibly in the last 160 years.
For more details visit www.americascup.com and www.americascupplymouth.co.uk
Top tip: Look out for the September issue of
Yachting World magazine which will be a special America's Cup issue
and will include a feature on Plymouth.
Sunday 11th September -
Race day two at the America's Cup World Series in Plymouth saw some
blustery conditions, leading to three boats in the afternoon fleet
race capsizing... spectacularly... watch here
The America's Cup Team will be releasing a series of "America's
Cup uncovered" episodes every Saturday. This is the perfect way to
catch up on the latest news and events around this huge sailing
event, with behind-the-scenes sneak-peeks, athlete profiles and
up-close action on and off the water.
Watch the latest episode now at http://www.americascup.com/en/latest/videos/
Take a look at some of the footage on the America's Cup
YouTube channel...
America's Cup: Opening Scene
America's Cup: Past, Present and
Future
America's Cup: Promotion
America's Cup: AC45 Sailing Footage
America's Cup: Russell Coutts on AC45 Oracle spectacular
capsize in San Francisco
America's Cup: Test Sessions Wrap
America's Cup: Test Sessions 'A brave new
world'
America's Cup: AC45 Testing Day Two - 25+
Knots
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