2017 is the year of the 35th America’s Cup. That might not be an official designation, but for anyone involved in sailing, fans of sport, or all those who love a classic story, 2017 is going to be the year of the greatest America’s Cup yet.
The America’s Cup has it all. 165 years of history, intrigue, passion, determination, winners and losers, the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and at the end of it all, one team will lift the oldest trophy in international sport. To achieve that, they will have raced the fastest boats in America’s Cup history, America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats capable of up to 90kmh, on a stadium style racecourse on the beautiful waters of Bermuda’s Great Sound, and they will have beaten the best the world can throw at them.
The sailors who win will be the fittest, strongest, most agile to ever set foot on an America’s Cup race boat, and the crowds watching these supreme athletes live in Bermuda and around the world on TV and through social media will be measured in millions.
Last time out, in San Francisco 2013, it went down to the wire. In fact, that does not even come close to describing how the 34th America’s Cup concluded – it was, many say, the greatest comeback in sports history, ORACLE TEAM USA fighting back against Emirates Team New Zealand from 8-1 down, finally winning 9-8 and retaining the trophy they won in 2010.
In 2017, only a very brave person could confidently predict who will win the 35th America’s Cup. Throughout the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series, every team won races, and it was only at the final event, in Fukuoka, Japan, that Land Rover BAR clinched the overall series title. They were pushed all the way by ORACLE TEAM USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan and Groupama Team France, and each team has a strong chance of lifting the Auld Mug in June 2017.
The racing will make the 35th America’s Cup truly spectacular, but the stage on which the action will unfold is truly breathtaking. Bermuda is a jewel in the Atlantic, with warm, flat waters providing the perfect stage for the racing, and consistent winds promising incredible action throughout May and June. Away from the races, Bermuda is gearing up for one of the biggest parties it will ever host, and anyone coming into the island to take in the spectacle will love every second.
The countdown continues to May 26th, when it all starts with ORACLE TEAM USA taking on Groupama Team France in the opening race of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers. Set your watches, book your flights, do whatever you can to be part of the greatest race on water. It is going to be magical!
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