America's Cup

The America's Cup is the most famous and most prestigious competition in the sport of yachting, and the oldest active trophy in international sports, predating the FA Cup by two decades and the Modern Olympics by 45 years. The sport attracts top sailors and yacht designers because of its long history and prestige as the 'Holy Grail' of yachting. Although the most salient aspect of the regatta is its yacht races, it is also a test of boat design, sail design, fundraising, and managing people. The cup is named after the first yacht to win the trophy, the schooner America. The trophy remained in the hands of the U.S. from 1851 when the United States won the first race, until 1983 when the Cup was won by the challenger, Australia II from Australia, ending the longest winning streak in the history of sports.

Related Topics:
Yachting - Trophy - Sport - FA Cup - Modern Olympics - Australia II

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The America's Cup regatta is a challenge-driven yacht series that involves match racing (a duel between two boats) and, recently, fleet-racing (racing with three or more boats). Since the 1992 match, the regatta has been sailed with the International America's Cup Class (ACC) sloop, a monohull boat that has an average length of about 75-feet. Any challenger who meets the requirements specified in the Deed of Gift, which governs the regatta, has the right to challenge the yacht club that holds the Cup. If the challenging team wins the cup, the cup's ownership is transferred from the defender's yacht club to the winning team's yacht club. If there is more than one challenger, the challengers compete for the right to challenge the Cup. Since 1995, the final Cup match has been a best of nine series called the Louis Vuitton Cup.

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