In less than three weeks INEOS Team UK will line up against American Magic for their first race of the PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland.
The four-day event will bring together the America’s Cup defender and the three challengers for the first competitive event of the America’s Cup AC75 class.
For the three Challenger teams, the results from the ACWS and the Christmas Race regatta will determine the pairings for the PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series to be held in January/February 2021.
That event will decide which of them will take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the actual Match for the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA starting on 6 March 2021.
So we have the first competitive meeting of the AC75 class taking place on Thursday 17 December with a scheduled start time of 15:05 NZ time.
The first race will see ETNZ will line up against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the very first race of the PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland.
But, before then the teams have agreed to designate a period for Official Practice on the on 8 and 10 December, and for Official Practice Regattas on 11, 14 and 15 December which are intended to check the official race and media system set-ups.
The racing format for the four days of official racing has now been finalised.
It should be stressed that this event is straight forward in the 3-day ACWS Auckland Double Round Robin stage.
But, it becomes more complicated when the event moves to the Prada Christmas Race event on day four.
Read below and see what you think . . .
ACWS Auckland Double Round Robin – 17 to 19 December 2020
For the first three days of the event (17-19 December) there will be four races per day of Round Robin competition where all of the four teams will race each other twice.
A total of 12 races.
The course configuration for the PRADA ACWS Auckland will be a windward-leeward configuration with an upwind start.
The winning competitor of each race scores one point, the loser scores no point, and the event will thus finish with the four teams ranked on points.
At this point we should have a fairly good idea of the status of the four teams as to comparative speed, handling ability and starting techniques etc., with this completely new type of racing yacht.
Prada Christmas Race – 20 December 2020
The fourth day (20 Dec) is given over to the PRADA Christmas Race and will comprise of two knock out stages.
The course configuration for the Christmas Race will also be a windward-leeward configuration with an upwind start.
The first stage consists of two one-race Semifinals and the second stage of two one-race Finals to determine the winner and the third placegetter respectively.
The two winners of the Semifinals will proceed to the Final (Race 4) and the other two Competitors to Race 3 to decide the 3rd and 4th places.
Note that Rankings from the result of the earlier Auckland ACWS double Round Robin event will determine the pairings for the Semifinals.
PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland – Conditions . . .
Prada AC Christmas Race – Conditions . . .
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