The five longest America’s Cup regattas Kris Shannon of APNZ takes a look at the five longest America’s Cup regattas. 2013 – San Francisco, 16 days and counting. This edition is guaranteed to be the longest. Emirates Team New Zealand could conclude this seemingly never-ending regatta at 17 days on Monday (Sept 23) with a win but, the way the last few days have gone, don’t bet on it. A combination of high winds, low winds and misdirected winds – along with a pesky opposition – has seen the 34th America’s Cup stretch into the record books. 2003 – Auckland, 16 days New Zealand were also involved in the previous longest regatta, one in which the interminable duration came with an equally-draining result. With winds on the Hauraki Gulf even more baffling than the Bay Area, Russell Coutts and Alinghi overcome nine straight days without racing to triumph 5-0 and wrest away the Cup. 1983 – Rhode Island, 13 days Historic for more than its length, the 25th America’s Cup marked the first time in the 132-year competition that the New York Yacht Club ceded possession of the Auld Mug. Dennis Conner’s Liberty held a handsome 3-1 lead over Australia II before the challenger won three straight races – the final by 41 seconds – to take home the trophy. 2000 – Auckland, 12 days For those complaining about the current edition’s continual delays and pining for a return of racing in Auckland, it is noteworthy that Team New Zealand’s two defences both feature on this list. The winds on the Hauraki Gulf were at their fickle best in 2000 and the hosts’ 5-0 sweep over Prada was marred by a pair of three-day lay-offs. 2007 – Valencia, 11 days After three straight sweeps, the 32nd America’s Cup finally saw the challenger take a couple of races from the defender. Unfortunately for Team New Zealand, their early 2-1 advantage was undone when Alinghi won four consecutive races, claiming a regatta that mercifully featured just one day abandoned due to unstable winds.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 07:26:19 +0000
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