The simplicity of the America’s Cup is a major source of attraction for many people. The concept of the duel, of two boats on the race course fighting for supremacy, one winner, one loser, is hard to beat as a governing idea. But that simplicity is built upon quite a heavy stack of Rules.
The America’s Cup is a complex event, rich in tradition, precedent and history. The Rules that govern the event are outlined in a series of documents. Some of these, like the Deed of Gift, have hardly been changed since they were first written well of 100 years ago. Others, like the Protocol and Terms of Challenge, are specific to the 32nd America’s Cup, but borrow concepts and principals from previous editions of the event.
The ‘Deed of Gift’ is the original document creating the America's Cup, written in 1887. In the years after America won the 100 Guinea Cup in 1851, the ownership syndicate donated the Cup to the New York Yacht Club under a Deed of Gift, which stated that the trophy was to be "a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between nations." Thus was born the America's Cup, named after the winning yacht America. The Deed of Gift, with a few subsequent amendments (1956 and 1985), is the basic document governing the event to this day.
The ‘Protocol for the 32nd America's Cup’ was drafted in March 2003 by the winning Yacht Club, the Société Nautique de Genève and the Challenger of Record, the Golden Gate Yacht Club. It outlines the general rules and format of the 32nd America's Cup.
The ‘Terms of Challenge’ document details the rights and obligations of the participants and organisers of the 32nd America's Cup.
The America's Cup Class Rule provides the detailed measurement constraints and tolerances for an America's Cup Class yacht. Version 4 of the Class Rule was in force for the 31st America's and is the rule that was used to measure the boats for 2004. Version 5 of the America's Cup Class Rule came into force for 2005 and onwards. Version 5 of the rule allows more sail area, a lighter boat, but with deeper draft keel, providing the same stability as before. The result is a lighter, faster boat, 'turbo-charged' for 32nd America's Cup.
The Deed of Gift is the original document that created the America's Cup. In the years after America won the 100 Guinea Cup in 1851, the ownership syndicate donated the trophy to the New York Yacht Club under a Deed of Gift, which stated that the Cup was to be "a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between nations."
Thus was born the America's Cup, named after the winning yacht America. The Deed of Gift, with a few subsequent amendments, is the basic document governing the event to this day.
Perhaps the most important concept in the Deed of Gift is contained in the eighth paragraph, where the concept of ‘Mutual Consent’ is introduced.
It is through Mutual Consent that the Challenger of Record system has come to the fore as a means of organising the America’s Cup. In the modern era, with just one exception, the Defender has found a Challenger of Record to agree upon the Rules, usually creating a Protocol that outlines, among many other things, the schedule of events, the class of boat to be raced, the location of the regatta, and the eligibility requirements for Challengers.
When Mutual Consent cannot be obtained, the Deed of Gift describes an outline of conditions for racing for the Cup. In 1988, on the one occasion when Mutual Consent could not be arrived at, these conditions were the basis for the event, ensuring the survival of the America’s Cup.
For the 32nd America’s Cup, using the principle of Mutual Consent, the Protocol was drafted by Team Alinghi, on behalf of the Defending club, the Société Nautique de Genève, in collaboration with the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s BMW ORACLE Racing Team, the Challenger of Record.
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For the 32nd America’s Cup, the Protocol was drafted by Team Alinghi, on behalf of the Defending club, the Société Nautique de Genève, in collaboration with the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s BMW ORACLE Racing Team, the Challenger of Record.
The Protocol outlines the general rules and format of the 32nd America's Cup, and is the broad governing document for this edition of the event.
This Protocol brings many changes to the America’s Cup, perhaps the most significant of which is the creation of AC Management. This action is intended to ensure a new level of professional management at the America’s Cup, with the intention of allowing the event to prosper under modern management.
For the past several editions of the Cup, there were two completely separate management structures; one for the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series, and one for the America’s Cup Match itself.
With AC Management acting as the sole event authority for the 32nd America’s Cup, the event will benefit by having just one entity to recruit and develop partners, sponsors and suppliers. AC Management will also be dealing with media rights and distributions, has managed the selection of Valencia as the Host City, and will act as the event authority for all racing, including the Acts leading up the America’s Cup Match, the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the 32nd Match itself.
The new Protocol makes it easier for new teams to ‘jump’ into the America’s Cup, by easing the restrictions on the acquisition and use of old technology and boats from previous editions of the Cup. A complete easing of the Nationality rule, also makes the America’s Cup less expensive for all competitors and again allows new teams to acquire the personnel they need with America’s Cup experience.
The overall vision that governed the drafting of the Protocol for the 32nd America’s Cup was to realise the sporting and commercial potential of the America’s Cup in the context of 21st century global sport, and to encourage world-wide growth and interest in the America’s Cup as a premier sporting event.
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The Terms of Challenge (TOC) detail the rights and obligations of the participants and organisers of the 32nd America's Cup. This document was described in the Protocol as outlining the terms on which challenges must be made.
The TOC for the 32nd America’s Cup describes in detail the way AC Management will act as the event authority for the Cup, specifically referencing:
- How to become a Challenger for the 32nd America’s Cup
- The schedule and venues for the Acts (or pre-regattas
- Exhibition regattas
- The 2007 schedule for the Louis Vuitton Cup, and 32nd America’s Cup Match
- The Venue of Valencia, Spain
- Competitor bases at the AC Village
- All marketing and merchandising issues
- Media, television, and image rights
- Security
- Dispute resolution
- Insurance and liability
The Terms of Challenge are issued by AC Management as outlined in the Protocol in consultation with the Defender and the Challenger of Record.
The main objective of the Terms of Challenge is to evolve the America’s Cup into a premiere, modern, international, sporting event, with all that that implies.
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The America's Cup Class Rule provides the detailed measurement constraints and tolerances for an America's Cup Class yacht.
Version 5 of the America's Cup Class Rule comes into force for 2005 and onwards. Version 5 of the rule allows more sail area, a lighter boat, but with deeper draft keel, providing the same stability as before. The result is a lighter, faster boat, 'turbo-charged' for 32nd America's Cup.
Version 4 of the Class Rule was in force for the 31st America's and is the rule that will be used to measure the boats for 2004.
Racing under the America’s Cup Class rule provides an incredible challenge to the designers, naval architects, materials engineers, and the build team associated with a Cup team.
The formula that defines the America’s Cup Class, (as opposed to a one-design class rule where the boats are identical), gives measurement constraints, but provides options for the designer to trade various favourable and unfavourable characteristics against each other.
The resulting boats, whilst very similar, are not identical, and often have very different performance characteristics. While this may seem to be handing the challenge of the America’s Cup to the engineers rather than sailors, that is far from the case.
Designing a fast America’s Cup Class boat requires a thorough understanding of the weather and wave conditions in which the boat will sail, and the demands likely to placed upon it by the crew. Communication between the sailors and designers is absolutely critical in this respect.
Further, due to the complexity of America’s Cup Class boats, a large amount of tuning and ‘tweaking’ is required before the boat reaches its full potential, and here the skill, experience and understanding of the sailors is crucial. An America’s Cup Class boat will often develop very significant performance improvement over its lifespan, and the sailors and designers alike are of great importance in realising this potential.
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>> Download Rule Amendment No1 (PDF) <<
>> Download Rule Amendment No2 (PDF) <<
>> Download Rule Amendment No2 (PDF) <<
>> Download Rule Amendment No4 (PDF) <<
>> Download Rule Amendment No5 (PDF) <<
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Governing Documents
