America's Cup Takes Off

Four years of waiting and we finally have America’s Cup racing back on our screens. And it has been an absorbing start...

As we go to press the first day of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualification Series, Round Two has concluded. e regatta has proven itself much closer than many had expected just one week ago when racing was about to get under way.

EXCITING FROM THE OFF

On many levels the racing has been chock full of surprises whilst on others it has gone exactly the way pundits called it. Since their arrival in Bermuda with their unique pedal grinding system and a number of other innovations, Emirates Team New Zealand has looked very strong. is pre-regatta form has carried through into the early races with the Kiwis taking five wins from their opening six races. Equally as impressive (to no one’s surprise) has been the America’s Cup defender, Oracle Team USA, who has also taken five wins from six.

So far, so expected. But further down the table things have been much, much closer. Few would have predicted that, as we go to press, four teams would have two wins each, though those results are somewhat skewed by everyone having completed a different number of their races (the schedule does not have all teams racing all days). But currently Land Rover BAR have won two from six races, Artemis Racing have won two from seven, Sobank Team Japan have two from five and Groupama Team France two from six.