Sailing: New Zealand team confirmed to compete in the World Series regatta

The New Zealand team was cleared to compete in next month’s dress rehearsal for the America’s Cup, with a showdown over the format of the World Series regatta and the Christmas race resolved.

Team NZ faced being kicked out of the World Series event after failing to meet the $ 435,000 entry fee payment deadline earlier this month, but will now line up against the Challenger of Record, the union. Italian Luna Rossa, in the first competitive race on her boat for the America’s Cup at 3pm on December 17, in the first of four races.

The Kiwi team was the last of the four unions to launch their second-generation AC75 for the America’s Cup, presenting Te Rehutai in Auckland last week.

The British INEOS Team UK and New York Yacht Club’s American Magic will also compete in the three-day World Series event, as well as the Christmas Cup race in Waitemata Harbor and Hauraki Gulf.

It was understood that the NZ team and the Challenger of Record disagreed on the format of the events, but apparently agreed that the first three days of the World Series will see four races per day of head-to-head competition when all four teams will compete against each other. Yes twice.

The fourth day (Christmas Cup race) will be comprised of two knockout stages, the first will consist of two head-to-head matches, with the winners of each advancing to the final and the losers to a third / fourth match that will help Decide the final rankings. The pairing for the holiday race semifinals will be decided based on the results of the World Series double round robin.

The Prada Cup, disputed between the three challengers, begins on January 15 and the winner advances to the America’s Cup match, and the opportunity to dethrone the New Zealand team, starting on March 6.

World Series

December 17: Team NZ v Luna Rossa, American Magic v INEOS Team UK, INEOS Team UK v Luna Rossa, American Magic v Team NZ.
December 18: Luna Rossa v American Magic, Team NZ v INEOS Team UK, American Magic v Luna Rossa, INEOS Team UK v Team NZ.
December 19: Luna Rossa v INEOS Team UK, Team NZ v American Magic, INEOS Team UK v American Magic, Luna Rossa v Team NZ.

Christmas Race (all on December 20)

Semifinal 1: 1st classified against 4th classified
Semifinal 2: second classified against third classified
Third place: Loser Race 1 v Loser Race 2
Final: Winning Race 1 vs Winning Race 2