From August to October 2024 Barcelona will be home to the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series. Here you will witness the challengers to the Americas Cup compete against one another for the chance to race against the defending Americas Cup champions, Emirates Team New Zealand, in order to determine who will become the 37th Cup Holder. Racing in second generation AC75 foiling monohulls, the speed at which these boats travel is terrifyingly fast. Witness the most skilled crews in action, squeezing every last bit of power out of the breeze.
September will also see the youth and women’s teams racing in the AC40 design foiling monohulls. These could be the next generation of Americas Cup Challengers so these events are not to be missed.
Starting out as a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851 and won by a 100ft schooner called the America, the America’s Cup earned its name. 173 years later the tradition has evolved and the yachts have got much lighter and faster; with laden weights of between 6876-6944kg speeds of over 50 knots were seen in 2021.
The Cup Challenger Series comprises several stages starting with the double round robin in which each team will face each other twice before the top 4 qualify for the semi-finals with the highest scorer earning the right to choose their opponent for that round. The first to score 7 points in each semi-final round progress to the finals who face one another. The first to 7 points becomes the Louis Vuitton Cup Champion and progresses to challenge the defending champions in the America’s Cup which takes place in October.
Spectating the race is free and can be done so online, onshore however the most captivating and exhilarating viewpoint has to be from the water.
