BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The world's oldest international sports trophy, best yachtsmen and cutting-edge design and technology will come together in Barcelona when the 37th edition of the America’s Cup starts on Thursday. Five boats – from Italy, the United States, Britain, Switzerland and France – will spend the coming weeks racing in the Mediterranean waves to decide which will earn the honor of trying to dethrone the almighty Emirates Team New Zealand for the Auld Mug. As the two-time defender, the Kiwis chose Barcelona’s choppy waters as the venue and helped establish the rules and boat design for this edition.
They also get a guaranteed spot in the final to be held in October. Here is what else you need to know about the equivalent of the World Cup of sailing. For anyone who has not followed the foiling revolution in sailing over the past decade, America's Cup yachts look more like something designed to fly through outer space in a sci-fi film than a traditional sailboat.
The only parts more or less recognizable are the rudder, mast, mainsail and jib on the foiling 75-foot monohull that the champions chose as the boat type for these regattas. This AC75 is an evolution of the 2021 monohulls, which were a radical leap from the catamarans that the same New Zealand team sailed to victory in 2017. If you are looking for a skipper standing tall at the helm while sailors scamper around the deck, then forget it.
The helmeted crew members are tucked into cockpits, keepin.