- Emirates Team New Zealand announce plans for 36th America’s Cup
- Land Rover continue to support Ben Ainslie Racing as Title and Exclusive Innovation Partner
Whitley, 29th September 2017: The announcement of the Protocol for the 36th America’s Cup defines some of the rules of the next edition of the world’s oldest sporting contest. Land Rover BAR are ready to get down to the serious business of planning and preparing their AC36 challenge for 2021 in 75 foot monohulls.
The major change was the return to monohulls, and although the final rule for the new boat will not be published till 31st March next year there were strong hints that the boat will foil like the multihulls used in the last Cup. “We are comfortable with the transition, the key people in our sailing, design, engineering and support teams all have a great deal of relevant experience,” said Team Principal, Ben Ainslie. “With the rule not coming out until March, we hope that it will be a collaborative approach to its development with all stakeholders included.”
A nationality rule was also introduced for the sailing teams. “Land Rover BAR has always had a British identity and this rule won’t affect us,” continued Ainslie. “It’s good to see that the World Series will continue in 2019, and we look forward to returning to America’s Cup racing in the new class. The Cup has gained a lot of new fans and it was encouraging to hear both the Defender and Challenger of Record’s commitment to delivering the same high standard of global, televisual racing to cement the interest in our sport.
“The America’s Cup is the hardest trophy to win in world sport, and it’s likely that we will be traveling half-way around the world to compete on the home waters of the world’s most successful modern America’s Cup team. Team New Zealand have been in all six of the openly contested Cups since 1995, and they have won three of them. We don’t underestimate the challenge – it is immense – but we will call on the very best of British technology and innovation through our partners, and use that British fighting spirit to finally bring the Cup home to Britain.
We are now able to move into the planning phase for the 36th America’s Cup. Land Rover will once again be at the heart of our technical innovation with their engineering knowledge and expertise. We will work hand-in-hand to develop the best boat possible for our ultimate goal of winning the America’s Cup and returning it to our home shores. We are excited for the challenges that lie ahead.”
The 36th America’s Cup 2021 protocol is extremely exciting. We at Land Rover are proud to be continuing as title and innovation partner with Sir Ben Ainslie and his Land Rover BAR team. We are looking forward to the challenges ahead and what will no doubt be an incredible competition not only on the water but also in design and engineering excellence.