Royal Yacht Squadron neemt uitdaging America's Cup aan

De eerste uitdaging voor de volgende America's Cup is binnen. De Britse ploeg is de eerste uitdager en daarmee de Challenger of Record. Dat betekent dat Team New Zealand en Team UK de regels voor de komende races bepalen. De Nieuw Zeelander en Britten bevestigen dat de opbouw naar de 37e America's Cup in feite begon toen de boten woensdag in de laatste wedstrijd over de finishlijn kwamen.

In een verklaring zeggen INEOS Team UK en Royal Yacht Squadron Racing: "The Challenge letter was signed on 17th March 2021 onboard the yacht IMAGINE, by Bertie Bicket, Chairman of Royal Yacht Squadron Racing and accepted by Aaron Young, Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club as Emirates Team New Zealand crossed the finish line to win the America’s Cup for the fourth time."

Team principle Ben Ainslie: "INEOS TEAM UK are committed to working alongside Emirates Team New Zealand and our respective yacht clubs to continue the development of this historic event. The introduction of the AC75 class of yacht has proven to be a transformative moment in the history of the America’s Cup and will be the bedrock of a really bright future."

Regels

De regels voor de volgende cup werden meteen in grote lijnen vastgelegd:

• It has been agreed the AC75 Class shall remain the class of yacht for the next two America’s Cup cycles, and agreement to this is a condition of entry.
• The teams will be restricted to building only one new AC75 for the next event.
• A single Event Authority will be appointed to be responsible for the conduct of all racing and the management of commercial activities relating to AC37.
• The Defender and the Challenger of Record, will be investigating and agreeing a meaningful package of campaign cost reduction measures including measures to attract a higher number of Challengers and to assist with the establishment of new teams.
• A new Crew Nationality Rule will require 100% of the race crew for each competitor to either be a passport holder of the country the team’s yacht club as at 19 March 2021 or to have been physically present in that country (or, acting on behalf of such yacht club in Auckland, the venue of the AC36 Events) for two of the previous three years prior to 18 March 2021. As an exception to this requirement, there will be a discretionary provision allowing a quota of non-nationals on the race crew for competitors from “Emerging Nations”.
• There are a number of different options but it is intended that the Venue for the Match will be determined within six months and the dates of racing announced in the Protocol, if not before.