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History | People | Boats | 34th America's Cup - San Francisco - 2013
History: The very first challenge would come from British railway tycoon James Ashbury, who raced against a fleet from the New York Yacht Club just off Staten Island in 1870. After much dispute over the conditions for racing, Ashbury's Cambria finished tenth in the 17-boat fleet, prompting a second challenge the following year. After reportedly consulting his lawyers, Ashbury insisted on racing against just one boat, not an entire fleet and protested both the scoring of the races and the Race Committee who set the race course. The next two Challenges came from Canada, but the northerners were no match for the Americans and were soundly beaten.
Any yacht club that meets the requirements specified in the Deed of Gift has the right to challenge the yacht club that holds the Cup.
Races were moved from New York City to Newport in 1930.
There was a 21 year halt in America's Cup competition from 1937 to 1958. In 1970, more than one yacht club interested in challenging for the America's Cup, so for the first time, a competition was staged to determine the single Challenger that would face the Defender, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). The French malletier Louis Vuitton became involved with the America's Cup in 1983, supporting the Challenger Selection Series that came to be known as the Louis Vuitton Cup.
America lost to the Royal Perth Yacht Club in 1983. In 1992 the International Americas Cup Class (IACC) was developed for the America's Cup between 1992 and 2007. Length was limited to 25 m (82 ft).
New Zealand won in 1995 and successfully defended in 2000.
In 2010 gigantic, specialized multi-hull racing yachts were used. The 2013 race was marked by tragedy when Andrew "Bart" Simpson, 36, was killed when he was trapped under the wreckage of the Artemis Racing (representing the Royal Swedish Yacht Club) sailboat that capsized during a training run. Oracle Team USA is the defender of the 35th America's Cup. It is scheduled to take place sometime during 2017. Protocol for the 35th America's Cup is currently being negotiated with the Challenger of Record, Team Australia and the Hamilton Island Yacht Club.
The venue search for the 35th AmericaÕs Cup has narrowed the finalists to Bermuda, Chicago and San Diego. San Diego plans to set the course in the bay for easy viewing. They would use AC62 boats. - See 2014 article at
People:
Larry Ellison Oracle co-founder and CEO and billionaire. Funded the America's cup team which beat Switzerland in 2010.
Dennis Conner has won the America's Cup four times, successfully defending the Cup in 1974 (Courageous), 1980 (Freedom), loosing in 1983, winning as the challenger in 1987 (San Diego Yacht Club - Stars & Stripes) and defending in 1988 (Stars & Stripes H3 A wing-masted catamaran vs a 90' monohull).
James Spithill is an Australian yachtsman. He debuted in the America's Cup in 2000 with Young Australia. In 2010, as skipper and helmsman for BMW Oracle Racing, Spithill became the youngest ever winner of the America's Cup as skipper of Oracle Team USA.
Russell Coutts is a competitive sailor from New Zealand. He holds an impressive record in the America's Cup, with 16 wins and no losses since 1995 winning four America's Cups (1995 (New Zealand), 2000 (New Zealand), 2003 (Switzerland), 2010 (U.S. CEO of Oracle Team USA).
Ben Ainslie, UK - The most successful sailor in Olympic history, with 5 golds.
Herreshoff Marine Museum & America's Cup Hall of Fame
Boats:
1st and 3rd race 40 miles (20 windward and 20 leward) 2nd race A equilateral triangle course with a total of 39 miles.
1. In 1987 New Zealand challenged with a 132 ft design and Dennis Conner didn't have time to come up with a conventional design to compete so used a 60 ft catamaran, which was allowed under the rules, and won despite a court controversy.
LWL - Waterline Length
2013: Courses: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 34th America's Cup - San Francisco - 2013 ![]() Oracle Team USA, the defender and Emirates Team New Zealand, winners of the Louis Vuitton Challenger Cup met in the finals from September 7 - 25, 2013.
In 2013 new class AC-72 (72 ft. wing-sail catamarans) were used in a best 9 of 17 races in San Francisco Bay.
The AC72 (America's Cup 72 class) is a wing sail catamaran with a 72 ft waterline length and a 131 ft high solid wing with a pivot in the middle as a main sail. They can hit 44 knots (50 MPH) while the hull is out of the water up on foils. Teams: Crews are limited to 11 sailors
Larry Ellison, Oracle CEO and billionaire put together an international team with Australian James Spithill as helmsman/skipper and New Zelander Russle Coutts with 16 wins and no losses since 1995 winning four America's Cups [1995 (New Zealand), 2000 (New Zealand), 2003 (Switzerland), 2010 (U.S. CEO of Oracle Team USA) as CEO and 5 time British sailing olympian Sir Ben Ainsley as tactician. USA started with a 2 race penalty because of a rule violation and at one point were down 8 to 1, with only 9 races required to take the cup.
The Kiwis had perfected upwind foiling, which Oracle was not doing because it required a larger (lower) angle against the wind to get the necessary speed, but this increased distance. Then there was the matter of luck. Twice during this event, New Zealand had a commanding lead in a race - only for it to be called off. The first time was a result of high winds that exceeded the strict limits. The second time in low winds when they couldn't finish within the 40-minute time limit. The wind limit (actually a combination of wind and tide) was lowered to 23 knots after Sweden's Artemis Racing suffered a disastrous accident during practice in May, when its boat broke apart and capsized, killing British Olympian Andrew "Bart" Simpson.
New Zeland developed a lot of techniques copied by other teams.
See: Links: Replay: AMERICA'S CUP FINAL - RACE 13 - YouTube Pictures - 2013 Oracle Team 2013 - YouTube History | americascup.com BBC Sport - America's Cup: 162 years of evolution America's Cup - Wikipedia 2013 America's Cup - Wikipedia Challengers_and_defenders - Wikipedia Basic Sailing: Boat Types How Larry Ellison Is Destroying the America's Cup - Bloomberg Will Larry Ellison's Ego Capsize the America's Cup? | Mother Jones The ISAF Racing Rules Of Sailing America's Cup Edition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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