The 2024 Youth America’s Cup is set to get underway today Tuesday 17 September 2024 in Barcelona. Sponsored by UniCredit, the event will bring together the best young sailors from around the globe to compete in a knock out series to crown the Youth America’s Cup champion.

The inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup was introduced in San Francisco and the winners of that regatta are now leading names in sailing.

Peter Burling, today the skipper of the Defender of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, skippered the ‘NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand’ that featured stellar names like Blair Tuke, Andy Maloney and Sam Meech who are all involved with Emirates Team New Zealand in 2024.

Other names in that regatta, which was then held in non-foiling AC45 catamarans, include Jason Saunders (now with Orient Express Racing Team), Lucien Cujean and Jason Waterhouse (both now with Alinghi Red Bull Racing).

The Land Rover BAR team were crowned 2017 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Champions last time the event took place

Following the success of that inaugural regatta, the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup returned in 2017 in the crystal waters of Bermuda with the upgraded AC45F foiling catamaran and this time it was the British ‘GBR Land Rover BAR Academy’ team that lifted the trophy. Onboard was Neil Hunter, the powerhouse cyclor who was quickly snapped up by the senior team and is now a key member of the INEOS Britannia squad.

The Youth America’s Cup did not take place during the 2021 America’s Cup in Auckland, but has been reintroduced for this latest edition of the event.

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The Event

The UniCredit Youth America’s Cup, is scheduled from September 17 to 26, 2024 and is open to sailors aged 18 to 25, it promises to showcase the talents of young athletes from 12 countries, all vying for top honours in foiling yacht racing.

The event will feature both fleet racing and match-racing formats, allowing teams to test their mettle in the different racing tyles. Fleet races will be the order of the day initially  while match-races will see two boats go head-to-head in a knockout format.

The Youth America’s Cup Venue

The races will be held at the Port Olímpic in Barcelona, a prime waterfront location that has undergone significant renovation in recent years. Built for the 1992 Olympic Games, the port is now a hub of Barcelona’s maritime culture and is the area in which the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup are taking place. Fans will have an incredible opportunity to view the races close up from the waterfront and beaches, adding a unique level of engagement to the event.

An AC40 in action. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

The Boats: AC40

The Youth America’s Cup will take place in the AC40 a one-design foiling monohull that has been used by America’s Cup teams for training, development and America’s Cup preliminary regattas.

The purchase of one AC40 was a prerequisite to entry into the 37th America’s Cup with the boats being used for an America’s Cup preliminary series (consisting of two events in the run up to the Cup itself), and also the reintroduced Youth America’s Cup.

Both the Youth AC and Preliminary Events (previously called the America’s Cup World Series) concept have been a feature of past America’s Cups, but both were dropped in the run-up to the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland.

The AC40 is designed to behave in a similar way to the America’s Cup boats, the AC75. They have two large, weighted foils on either side of the boat but no traditional keel.

The boats are designed to foil on one foil only with the windward foil raised out of the water to reduce drag and provide increased righting moment.

With only four crew members onboard the AC40 there is a reliance on a variety of automated systems, including a battery powered system replacing the need for grinders, and automated controls to adjust foiling height and self-tacking headsails.

In terms of the rig, the AC40 again mimics the AC75s and features the same D-shaped mast on which two sail skins will be hoisted to create a soft wingsail, offering plenty of control in a sail plan that can be easily raised and lowered from onboard.

Youth America’s Cup Format

The competition kicked off with five days of training from September 10 to 16, giving the teams a chance to familiarise themselves with the AC40s. The race series begins with the Qualification Series from September 17 to 21, where the teams are split into two groups. The top three teams from each group will progress to the Final Series on September 22, followed by the Match-Race Final on September 26.

The format challenges the sailors in both fleet and match-racing, testing their versatility and adaptability across multiple racing styles.

Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Youth America’s Cup teams

Twelve teams from around the world, will compete for the trophy. These teams represent both traditional America’s Cup contenders and yacht clubs from across the globe, reflecting the growing international appeal of youth sailing. Teams will consist of four sailors each, with a mix of helmsmen and trimmers. The Teams in the Youth America’s Cup are:

• New Zealand – Emirates Team New Zealand – representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS)
• Great Britain – Athena Pathway – representing the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd (RYS)
• Switzerland – Alinghi Red Bull Racing – representing Société Nautique de Genève (SNG)
• Italy – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – representing Circolo della Vela Sicilia (CVS)
• USA – NYYC American Magic – representing New York Yacht Club (NYYC)
• France – Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Team – representing Société Nautique Saint-Tropez (SNST)
• Spain – Sail Team BCN Real – representing Club Náutico de Barcelona (RCNB)
• The Netherlands – JAJO Team DutchSail – representing Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeil- & Roeivereeniging (KNZ&RV) Royal Maas Yacht Club (KR&ZV ‘De Maas’)
• Canada – Concord Pacific Racing – representing Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC)
• Germany – Youth America’s Cup Team Germany – representing Kieler Yacht Club, Verein Seglerhaus am Norddeutscher Regattaverein, Bayrischer Yacht-Club
• Sweden – Swedish Challenge Powered by Artemis Technologies – representing Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS), Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS)
• Australia – Andoo Team Australia – representing Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

Youth America’s Cup, Youth Presentation. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

How to watch the Youth America’s Cup

The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup has partnered with broadcasters in some territories but most sailors will be able to catch it live on the America’s Cup Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as www.americascup.com. If you missed the races or want to relive the action, full replays are available immediately after the racing finishes.

Follow all of our 2024 America’s Cup coverage

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