In an America’s Cup Challenger Commission meeting on 31 March 2015, four of six teams voted to dump the AC62 for a smaller boat. Two days later Luna Rossa became the second Challenger of Record to withdraw from the 35th America’s Cup. This is the third time Golden Gate Yacht Club has had a Challenger of Record fold – remember that Mascalzone Latino pulled out of the 34th America’s Cup. ACEA pulled the America’s Cup Qualifiers from Auckland and Team New Zealand protested to the non-existant Arbitration Panel.
America’s Cup – Current Situation
Where do things stand in the build up to the 35th America’s Cup?
- The AC62, announced last June, has been dropped and replaced by a 48 foot foiling wing sail catamaran called the “America’s Cup Class” (an unfortunate choice of name, since, confusingly, that was the name of the monohull class used from 1992 to 2007).
- Luna Rossa has withdrawn from the America’s Cup, angrily stating that the class of boat cannot be changed at such a late date.
- The Cagliari America’s Cup World Series, scheduled for June 2015, has been cancelled. The America’s Cup World Series was to have six to eight events in each of 2015 and 2016, now down to three in 2015: Portsmouth, Gothenburg and Bermuda. Only one has been confirmed for 2016: Portsmouth.
- Team New Zealand has protested to the not-yet-appointed Arbitration Panel over loss of the America’s Cup Qualifiers event in Auckland. In compliance with the Protocol, ACEA had notified the teams on 15 February that the qualifiers would be held in Auckland. The Competitors Commission then retroactively changed the Protocol on March 31, changing the date for announcing the venue for the America’s Cup Qualifiers to April 15.
- Team France has stated that Oracle Team USA will share their design with the French team.
- Oracle Team USA has stated that they will sell a design package to any team that wants to buy it.
35th America’s Cup Deadlines – Past, Present and Future
Imminent Deadlines
- 15 April 2015: Venue, dates and format of America’s Cup Qualifiers.
- 1 May 2015: $1 million performance bond plus $900K third installment of entry fee.
- 31 May 2015: Finalized version of America’s Cup Class Rule for the 48 foot catamarans.
Note that the date for first launch of America’s Cup Class race yachts will be 150 days before the first race in the America’s Cup Qualifiers.
Future Deadline
- 15 August 2015: Venues and dates of America’s Cup World Series in 2016.
Missed Deadlines
- 1 November 2014: Racing rules published.
- 31 December 2014: Dates of America’s Cup Match
- 31 December 2014: Announce host cities and venues for Youth America’s Cup.
- 15 February 2015: Dates of America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs.
- 15 February 2015: Announce course areas for America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs and America’s Cup Match.