Day 1 update.
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I use to love watching the Americas Cup when it was those beautiful 12m yachts, now the boats just look like scaffolding. They are quick though.
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Remember when races were 4hrs not 40mins…
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True but the boats were so beautiful you didn’t care. You could go and get a cuppa come back and not miss much.
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I remember the elegant monohulls, the domination of the New York Yacht Club, a British millionaire Peter de Savary trying to win back the trophy and ultimately “Australia II” with its winged keel breaking the NYYC’s grip and beating Dennis Connor, the US skipper. 1983?
I also remember Bob Hawke’s jacket and speech!
My recollection of the time is of technical or legal challenges being raised against Australia II and Ben Lexcen, its designer. After that there seemed to be more litigation and more technology in successive competitions and that is when I lost interest to be honest - the litigation and the money ruined it for me. I have always liked the technology though. A loss of elegance in some respects but the engineering is mightily impressive.
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My first trip to the US was to Newport, Rhode Island, where I spent the summer of 1983. It was all abuzz with the America’s Cup. Not being a sailor and not having any boating connections, I saw very little of it, though I did get to attend the Newport Jazz Festival: Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Art Blakey - all long gone now - and a very young Wynton Marsalis.
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I don’t understand this, it’s not the actual cup competition, is it?
I’ve not been following it. There used to be a competition to find the challenger and then that challenger took on the holder. Maybe that’s what is happening now.
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Those were the days that was a great win to come from 3 nil down to win 4/3. Who can forget Bob saying any boss that sacked anyone for not turning up for work was a bum.
And I still don’t know why I stayed up all night to watch the last race.
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Anyone remember New Zealand losing to the Americans after having a 7 - 0 lead?
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That’s the problem, no. 
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We try to forget, especially since we lost to our old skipper 
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The apostrophe in the thread title implies the U.S. have already won it!
I’ll get my coat…
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Preliminary rounds I believe.
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It was renamed that after the first winner, the America.
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Seems that the Brits don’t stand a chance of getting to the final.
The Italians look rapid but the kiwi’s are in a different class. I’m not sure whether it’s the advantage of better technology or technique/seamanship.
I didn’t know that but if so then I suppose it should be “The America Cup”.
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Yes, all too well… 
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Those boats look a lot better than the ones they raced a few years ago. They at least look like yachts (or from that photo anyway).
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