America's Cup

America's Cup: see sailing.

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America's Cup

Most prestigious trophy in international yachting competition. First offered under another name in Britain in 1851, the cup was won easily by the America from New York and subsequently became known as the America's Cup. The America's Cup race, held about every four years, is between one defending vessel and one challenging vessel; each must be designed and built in the country it represents. The 22.6-mi (36.4-km) racecourse is divided into eight legs. The U.S. completely dominated the competition until 1983, when it was defeated by Australia. New Zealand won the Cup in 1995 and retained it in 2000 by defeating a challenger from Italy in the first competition without a U.S. participant.

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America's Cup

Held whenever the Cup is challenged, usually every 3-4 years

The America's Cup races are the world's longest-running international sporting event. The event is named for the trophy, originally called the Hundred Guinea Cup by the Royal Yacht Squadron of Great Britain, that was won by the 100-foot schooner America in a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. The Cup was given by the schooner's owner, J. C. Stevens, to the New York Yacht Club, which successfully defended it against international challenges for 130 years. In 1984, the challenger Australia II defeated the American defender Courageous in races off Newport, Rhode Island, marking the end of the longest winning streak in international sports. In 1987, the American challenger Stars & Stripes, sailing for the San Diego Yacht Club, regained the Cup in races off Perth, Australia. Stars & Stripes successfully defended the cup in 1988 against New Zealand, and in 1992 America³ retained the Cup for the United States by defeating the Italian boat four races to one.
The race is usually held every three to four years, with challengers coming from England, Canada, France, Sweden, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and other countries. The rules require that the defenders and challengers sail in closely matched boats built to the same general specifications, but designs have varied over the years as sailing technology has grown more sophisticated. A new class of boats, the America's Cup class, was introduced in 1991.
The New Zealand team won the Cup in 1995 and again in 2000. The Swiss team took the Cup in 2003 and 2007. The 2007 event was held in Spain, the first time since 1951 that it was held in Europe.

CONTACTS:
America's Cup
P.O. Box 2500
Olympic Valley, CA 96146
530-386-2190
www.americascup.com

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 601
HolSymbols-2009, p. 23