YOUTH AMERICA’S CUP

A Stepping Stone for the Future of the Cup

North Sails New Zealand is helping to develop new foiling monohulls for the Youth America’s Cup, which begins in November 2020 and ends in March 2021, just ahead of the main event.

The 9-metre boats are being built in Auckland by Yachting Developments, and the North Sails team is working closely with both the designers and Team New Zealand to finalize rig, sails, and deck layout. The first AC9F will hit the water in early 2020.

Magnus Doole and Burns Fallow worked on the rig and sails, with input from North Grand Prix expert Matt Kelway and 18-foot skiff champion Matt Steven. The North team was given two design goals: maximizing speed and rewarding excellent boathandling.

“The AC9F is going to be very exciting boat for young sailors to sail, especially in a match-racing situation,” Doole says. “The boat are not going to be easy and will challenge the people that sail them, so they’ll need to develop the skills required to sail in an event like the America’s Cup.”

The Youth America’s Cup will consist of a fleet racing event in China in November 2020 and a match racing event in Auckland in February 2021, followed by the finals in March.

“Each team has to be co-ed with two males and two female sailors, and with a relatively light crew weight of just over 300 kg,” Kelway says. “These young sailors are going to have a bit on — and the shorter the course, the harder the boat will be to sail. It’s very exciting to be involved.”

Sailors must be between 18-24 years old. Race formatting opens the regatta to multiple teams from multiple nations, so there’s plenty of opportunity to be part of the action.

The entry deadline for yacht clubs and youth teams is 29 February 2020. If you are interested, email challenger@youthamericascup.com. For more information on the Youth America’s Cup, visit www.youthamericascup.com.