Teams From 12 Countries
In the 2024 Youth America’s Cup twelve countries will participate, these include teams from Spain, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia, alongside the six established America’s Cup teams from New Zealand, France, Italy, Switzerland, USA and UK. Extensive selection trials have been conducted by each of the America’s Cup syndicate clubs (see below) to uncover future talent, making this event an exciting platform for the rising stars of the sport to demonstrate their skills.
There are syndicates from significantly more countries in the Youth America’s Cup than the adult version, the additional countries and yacht clubs involved are :
- Spain (Royal Barcelona Yacht Club)
- The Netherlands (Royal Netherlands Yacht Club & Royal Maas Yacht Club)
- Canada (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club)
- Germany (Kieler Yacht Club 3.V, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Bayerischer Yacht Club, and Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee)
- Sweden (Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, and Royal Swedish Yacht Club
- Australia (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia)
| Boating New Zealand will provide near real-time coverage of the Youth America’s Cup providing a briefing of each race along with a daily digest of the action. We also include a full video replay of the race. You can find our coverage at www.boatingnz.co.nz/YouthAC |
Most Familiar Faces From Previous Youth America’s Cups
Several sailors who have previously competed in the Youth America’s Cup have gone on to race in the actual America’s Cup, demonstrating the success of the event as a talent pathway. Some of the most known alumni of the Youth America’s Cup are:
● Peter Burling (New Zealand): Burling competed in the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in 2013, leading the New Zealand Sailing Team to victory. Burling went on to helm Emirates Team New Zealand in both the 2017 and 2021 America’s Cup campaigns, winning both events. He became the youngest helmsman to win the America’s Cup in 2017.
● Blair Tuke (New Zealand): Tuke was also part of the victorious New Zealand Sailing Team in 2013. Like Burling, Tuke was a key member of Emirates Team New Zealand, serving as a trimmer and foil controller during their victories in 2017 and 2021.
● Kyle Langford (Australia): Langford competed in the Youth America’s Cup with Objective Australia in 2013. Langford was part of Oracle Team USA as a wing trimmer in the 2013 America’s Cup, playing a significant role in the team’s dramatic comeback to win the event. He also competed with Artemis Racing in the 2017 America’s Cup.
● Roman Hagara (Austria): Hagara coached the Austrian team in the 2013 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Although primarily known for his Olympic successes, Hagara was involved in Alinghi’s America’s Cup campaign in 2007 as part of their sailing team.
● Nathan Outteridge (Australia): While Outteridge did not directly compete in the Youth America’s Cup, he has been involved in mentoring young sailors through programs linked to it. Outteridge was the helmsman for Artemis Racing in the 2013 and 2017 America’s Cup campaigns.
Pathway to Success
The Youth America’s Cup has established itself as a proving ground for young sailing talent, providing a platform for future America’s Cup sailors to develop their skills in high-performance, foiling boats. The competition offers invaluable experience in a highly competitive environment, with several participants successfully transitioning to the pinnacle of sailing in the main America’s Cup.
Race Schedule and Format
The UniCredit Youth America’s Cup will kick off on 17 September 2024 after six days of practice from 10–15 September.
The twelve teams will be divided into two groups, and each group will compete in a series of fleet races. Eight races will be held during the qualification rounds, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the Final Series.
The Final of the Youth America’s Cup is scheduled for Thursday 26 September 2024, where the two best-performing teams will face off in a head-to-head Match Race to decide the overall winner.
AC75 vs AC40
All teams will race on AC40s, a scaled-down version of the revolutionary AC75, providing a thrilling platform for high-speed, tactical racing.
The boats’ foiling capabilities make them an ideal vessel for these emerging sailors to showcase their talent and hone their skills ahead of possible future America’s Cup campaigns.
The AC40 and AC75 are both high-performance foiling yachts designed for America’s Cup racing, but they differ in size, purpose, and some technical features. Here’s a breakdown of the main differences between the two:
Size and Dimensions
● AC40: The AC40 is a smaller, scaled-down version of the AC75, measuring 40 feet (12.2 metres) in length.
● AC75: The AC75 is a larger yacht, measuring 75 feet (22.9 metres) in length. This gives the AC75 more power, but also requires a larger crew to operate.
Purpose
● AC40: The AC40 was designed primarily as a development boat for teams to practice and test innovations for the America’s Cup. It is also used in the Youth America’s Cup and Women’s America’s Cup, where emerging sailors can compete and develop their skills on a platform similar to the AC75.
● AC75: The AC75 is the ‘main racing yacht’ for the America’s Cup teams, used in the America’s Cup Match and Challenger Series. It is the flagship boat for the event, designed for maximum speed and performance.
Crew Size
● AC40: The AC40 is operated by a smaller crew, typically 4 sailors, due to its smaller size and less complex sail plan.
● AC75: The AC75 requires a larger crew of 11 sailors, reflecting the size and complexity of the boat’s systems, including its larger foils and sails.
Performance
● AC40: While incredibly fast for its size, the AC40 is generally slower than the AC75 due to its smaller size and sail area. However, it still reaches impressive speeds exceeding 40 knots (around 74 km/h).
● AC75: The AC75 is designed for maximum performance and can reach speeds over 50 knots (92 km/h), thanks to its size, power, and advanced foil design.
Design and Foils
● AC40: The AC40 has a simpler design, with foils and systems optimised for training and racing in the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup. It’s built to be faster and more affordable to build and maintain than the AC75.
● AC75: The AC75 has a more advanced and complex design, with larger, more powerful foiling arms and a bigger mainsail, which provide greater lift and speed potential. The foil system on the AC75 is a critical part of its design, allowing it to “fly” above the water with reduced drag.
Cost and Accessibility
● AC40: The AC40 is more affordable than the AC75, making it a more accessible boat for teams to build and use. It was introduced to lower the barrier to entry for younger and smaller teams while still offering a foiling experience close to that of the AC75.
● AC75: The AC75 is a significantly more expensive yacht, as it is the main racing boat for the America’s Cup. The costs reflect the extensive technology, research, and development that go into each team’s boat.
In A Nutshell
The AC40 is a smaller, more accessible version of the AC75, designed for development and entry-level competition, while the AC75 is the premier boat used in the top-tier America’s Cup races, offering superior speed and performance.
