The Royal New
Zealand Yacht Squadron staged the 31th defense
of sailing's most hallowed event, the America's
Cup. The months-long regatta was headquartered
in New Zealand's largest city, Auckland.
While Auckland's Waitemata Harbour is home to
many small-boat regattas, the America's Cup
was sailed in the notorious Hauraki Gulf east
of Auckland's North Shore between Rangitoto
Island and Whangaparaoa Peninsula.
This provided the necessary depth of water and
maneuvering room the 75-foot International America's
Cup Class sailboats need to compete on the windward/
leeward course that will stretch more than three
miles.
The Cup becomes the
possession of the yacht club that wins the competition.
That club then becomes the 'defender' and determines
the date, usually 3-5 years hence, when the
next America's Cup will be held on the club's
home waters.
The America's Cup regatta itself is a simple
nine race, match race series (one-on-one) held
at the end of a four month long challenger elimination
series, the Louis Vuitton Cup.
In 1983 seven yacht clubs from five different
countries issued challenges for the America's
Cup. Because of these unusual amount it was
necessary to organize a selection series to
decide which one of the seven would be the final
challenger.
The Company Louis Vuitton, world-renowned manufacturer
of travel goods sponsored this series and so
it was called the Louis Vuitton Cup.
As the selection series for the America's Cup,
the LVC consists of a number of match race series.
Each of the foreign yacht clubs that has launched
a challenge against the holders of the America's
Cup, meets each of the others several times
resulting in several hundred races before the
Louis Vuitton Cup is decided.
The winner of this competition then meets the
holders in a nine race series to see who will
hold the Cup for the next four years.
The regatta is governed
by three sets of rules, the “Deed of Gift",
the “Protocol for America’s Cup XXXI” and the
“Conditions of Match.”
The Deed of Gift, written more than 100 years
ago, established the event and governs it to
this day.
The protocol—signed March 2, 2000, by representatives
of the defender Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
and challenger of record Punta Ala Yacht Club
—sets down the rules for conducting the 31th
defense of the Cup.
The Conditions of Match, to be issued at least
a year prior to the final match, will establish
the specific dates of the races, and address
a number techical issues relative to conducting
the races.
