Stars & Stripes, Dennis Conner’s newest America’s Cup challenger, has been issued hull number 77 to continue the repeating digit tradition. Conner raced USA-55 in the 2000 Challenge and his team is training on Stars & Stripes USA-66.

Stars & Stripes USA-77 is still under construction at New England Boatworks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island but is scheduled to be finished and delivered to Team Dennis Conner’s training compound in Long Beach, California early in the northern hemisphere summer.

Conner is currently in New Zealand competing at the Etchells national championship, while Stars & Stripes helmsman Ken Read and four other Team Dennis Conner crew members will start racing on Tuesday, 9 April at the 38th Congressional Cup in Catalina 37s.

Read and crew will face several America’s Cup competitors including Peter Holmberg from Oracle Racing, Rod Davis and Gavin Brady from Prada Challenge and Dean Barker from Team New Zealand.