PRESS PACK PRESS PACK 2 THE AMERICA’S CUP The America’s Cup is the competition for the the America’s Cup Match presented by Louis oldest trophy in international sport and dates Vuitton, will be raced in the new America’s back to 1851. Cup Class – a very fast, foiling, wing-sailed catamaran, manned by six crew. Over that time, teams representing just four nations (the United States of America, Australia, The America’s Cup is governed by a Deed of New Zealand and Switzerland) have won the Gift and a Protocol, which together outline the trophy Rules for each edition of the event. in over 160-years of competition. The current Protocol can be found at It is one of the greatest challenges in all of www.americascup.com sport. The defending champion is ORACLE TEAM USA, who first won the America’s Cup in 2010, and successfully defended the title in 2013. Now six teams, including ORACLE TEAM USA, have signed up to take on the challenge again. The 35th America’s Cup will be in June 2017 on the Great Sound of Bermuda. Racing in a series of preliminary events, collectively known as the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series, will take place at selected venues in 2015 and 2016, with teams having the opportunity to host events. The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series will be raced in the AC45 class – a one-design catamaran powered by a wing sail, and s ailed by a crew of five. The new version of the AC45 will fly above the water on foils. In 2017, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs, as well as americascup.com @americascup JOIN NOW PRESS PACK 3 THE TEAMS AND SAILORS OF THE 2017 AMERICA’S CUP: Artemis Racing Land Rover BAR Emirates Team New Zealand Sweden; Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) Great Britain; Royal Yacht Squadron Racing New Zealand; Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron www.artemisracing.com www.landroverBAR.com www.emiratesteamnz.com Helmsman: Nathan Outteridge Skipper: Ben Ainslie Helmsman: Peter Burling Artemis Racing is a team of Land Rover BAR is a new Emirates Team New Zealand Olympic champions, from challenger for the America’s came within one win of Cup, but that description manager Iain Percy (two gold belies the experience on tap. taking America’s Cup home medals) to helmsman Nathan Team principal and skipper in 2013. But that final point Outteridge. Sir Ben Ainslie is on his fourth eluded them and the team America’s Cup campaign was on the wrong side of one Born in New South Wales, after helping ORACLE TEAM of the greatest comebacks in Australia, Nathan started USA win the Cup in 2013. all of sport. sailing at the age of five. In 2008 he won his first World Ainslie is the most successful Not surprisingly, there was Championship title in the 49er Olympic sailor of all time. At a lot of soul-searching in class; a success he repeated in his first ever Olympic Games, the aftermath and long-time aged 19, he won an Olympic silver medal and went on to 2009, 2011 and 2012. In 2010 he won the International establish himself as the world’s best by winning consecutive skipper Dean Barker has been replaced by Peter Burling, Moth Class Euro Championship and the following year he gold medals at the next four Olympic Games. a young talent who came to prominence by winning the clinched the International Moth Class World title. He went inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. on to win the World title for a second time earlier in 2014. Fresh from his London 2012 success, Ben turned his focus to the next challenge, competing with Ben Ainslie Racing Burling is a dynamic young sailor who is simultaneously Nathan won a gold medal at the London Olympics in the (BAR) on the 2012/13 America’s Cup World Series. In the running a 49er campaign for the Olympic Games in Rio. 49er class alongside teammate Iain Jensen. Shortly after his summer of 2013, he went on to join ORACLE TEAM USA Along with his crew Blair Tuke (also now a member of the Olympic success he joined Artemis Racing as helmsman for on-board for their defence of the 34th Cup, helping the Emirates Team New Zealand crew), Burling hasn’t lost a the 34th America’s Cup, aged just 27. American team win the event, 9-8, against Emirates Team major 49er competition in nearly two years. He’s on an New Zealand. impressive run. This is the second challenge for the America’s Cup by He was an instrumental part in one of the greatest Artemis Racing and the team has re-calibrated its design comebacks sport has ever seen, becoming the first Briton, “These AC45s are completely different beasts, but certainly and sailing team in line with the challenges posed by the for 110 years, to be part of a winning Cup team. we have some confidence right now.,” Burling says. “We new class and the venue of Bermuda. have a lot of work to do if we’re going to dominate in a Now stepping into a new role, as Land Rover BAR Team class like this, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.” Principal, Ben has set his sights on bringing the Cup back to Britain where it all began in 1851. And he has assembled a formidable team to achieve that goal. americascup.com @americascup JOIN NOW PRESS PACK 4 SoftBank Team Japan ORACLE TEAM USA Groupama Team France Japan; Kansai Yacht Club USA; Golden Gate Yacht Club France; Yacht Club de France www.softbank-team-japan.americascup.com www.oracleteamusa.com www.groupamateamfrance.com Skipper: Dean Barker Skipper: Jimmy Spithill Skipper: Franck Cammas After leaving Team New ORACLE TEAM USA is the Groupama Team France is the Zealand, Dean Barker didn’t defending champion of the latest French challenger to the waste much time in finding a America’s Cup, after winning America’s Cup, but the first new position - settling in as the last two editions in 2010 in the multihull era, a type of skipper and CEO of the new and 2013. sailing that is popular in France Japanese team, SoftBank and in which French sailors Team Japan. Skipper Jimmy Spithill led excel. his team to a remarkable As Barker embarks on his fifth comeback win over Emirates Perhaps none more than America’s Cup campaign, he Team New Zealand in the last skipper Franck Cammas who has a unique opportunity with Cup. Down 8-1, and facing is a six-time ORMA World a new challenger. match point, ORACLE TEAM Champion, as well as a record- USA won the last 8 races of the match to win the America’s breaking machine – he holds or has held at least 7 Speed “This is an incredible opportunity to build a new team from Cup 9-8. Sailing records, including the Jules Verne Trophy for the the ground up,” he says. “We all feel very fortunate to have fastest non-stop lap of the planet. been given this chance. We have come to the challenge Spithill became the youngest sailor to lead a challenge for a little bit later than some of the others, but I think we’re the America’s Cup in at the age of 19 and became the A three-time winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre, Cammas putting the right pieces in place to be successful.” youngest skipper to win the Cup in 2010 at the age of 30. has also found success in the Volvo Ocean Race, winning 2011-12 edition, also under the banner of Groupama. He One of the pieces is Chris Draper, who raced with Luna Now he is looking to lead his team to a third consecutive has won the Route du Rhum and the Tour de France à la Rossa and Team Korea in the last America’s Cup. Barker will victory - a three-peat. Voile, cementing his status as one of the world’s greatest skipper and helm, with Draper managing the sailing team offshore sailors. and trimming the wing on board. “It’s not going to be easy,” he says. “All platitudes aside, this has to be the strongest line-up of challengers we’ve ever As someone who has won nearly every significant “It’s coming together well,” Draper says as the team seen. Everybody is good. But that’s motivating for us. We challenge he’s taken on, Cammas now has the America’s prepares for racing in Portsmouth. “We’re an a steep want to face the best. We want to challenge ourselves. And Cup in his sights. And his vast experience on multihulls learning curve at the moment, but we’re getting better each I think when you look at this group of teams, we’re going to suggests he may be the man to bring France glory in day so that is encouraging.” be pushed like never before.” sailing’s ultimate prize. SoftBank Team Japan will be holding crew trials later this Under the watch of sailing team manager and tactician/ year to recruit some Japanese sailors into the crew. helmsman Tom Slingsby, ORACLE TEAM USA has also shifted towards a younger crew, with new sailors like Louis Sinclair and Andrew Campbell joining some of the rookie holdovers from the last campaign like Kyle Langford and Kinley Fowler. americascup.com @americascup JOIN NOW PRESS PACK 5 THE LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES All teams have been given an opportunity to host events in their home countries.