August 29, 2024 Kevin Maher
The Louis Vuitton Cup is the 39thNumber The annual America’s Cup kicks off today at 14:00 CET.
With six helmsmen sitting on either side of the Louis Vuitton Cup, a tense atmosphere hung over the stage as a press conference on Wednesday, August 28, set the tone for the opening of the America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain. The annual sailing competition begins today with an eight-day double round-robin series that will see one challenger team eliminated at the end.
“It’s starting to get serious fast. We are racing for real now. The qualification regatta was a great opportunity for all the teams to compete against each other and there was no doubt a lot of learning for all the teams, but every point now counts and we need to make good use of it,” said Sir Ben Ainslie, CEO of record challengers Ineos Britannia.
Following the Louis Vuitton Qualifier Regatta which concluded earlier this week, helmsman Tom Slingsby reflected on NYYC American Magic and “Patriot’s” victory in the final race over Emirates Team New Zealand.
“It was really interesting to see all the teams, their strengths and weaknesses and also very interesting to see how we are doing. As for American Magic, I think they performed well in some races and a little bit below their ability in others. We have to be realistic and we can’t allow that when points matter,” Slingsby said.
The second race on day one will feature a rematch of the Louis Vuitton Qualifier Regatta Final between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Ineos Britannia and NYYC American Magic will also face off in important races for both teams, while Orient-Express Racing Team will take on Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on day one. Conditions will be strong with winds coming out of the east-south-easterly and the seas being slightly choppy.
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