It’s an exciting time of year to be a sailing fan. The 35th America’s Cup starts on June 17th, and even before that we have the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is shaping up as an equally enthralling contest for a place in the America's Cup this year. The Vuitton Cup begins May 26th, and by June 12th we should know which team will advance to the America's Cup and challenge the US Oracle's. Naturally, perennial front-runners and two-time winners Team New Zealand are among the top teams to watch, but this year they have several serious competitors to consider, which makes the whole regatta extremely exciting.
Who are The Main Threats to Oracle Team USA?
Emirates Team New Zealand
They are many people’s pick to advance to face the US, and this year there is extra intrigue surrounding the team due to their move to pedal powered grinding. The Emirates are the only syndicate employing this radical technique in the hope of generating more grinding power for the power-thirsty AC35s. However, team New Zealand came last in the Bahamas, so there are many unknowns regarding their performance.
Land Rover BAR
Ben Ainsley’s team is definitely one to watch, even for the mere fact that Sir Ben is at the helm. He was an integral part of Oracle Team USA’s victory in the last America’s Cup, and now the proud Brit has returned to his national team in the hopes of bringing the Cup home with Land Rover BAR.
Artemis Racing
The Swedish entry has been setting the pace in the early practice matches, winning eight out of 10 matches. Though many pundits don’t read too deeply into these results as the cat and mouse nature of the sport means most teams are holding back their tricks until racing genuinely begins.
This year, both competitions will be taking place in the mysterious and beautiful waters of Bermuda, and according to the America's Cup website, there should be great racing conditions 90% of the time with various challenges for the sailors to overcome.
So, sails up and let the games begin!
This year, both competitions will be taking place in the mysterious and beautiful waters of Bermuda, and according to the America's Cup website, there should be great racing conditions 90% of the time with various challenges for the sailors to overcome.
So, sails up and let the games begin!
