Team New Zealand Reveals First Details Of 36th America's Cup

Team New Zealand indicated it will "strengthen the nationality rules for the America's Cup," confirming the protocol will contain a "constructed in country" rule as well as a "nationality requirement for the competing crews," according to the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. But "potential challengers will have to wait a couple more months to learn the full details of the next event," with Team NZ and challenger of record Luna Rossa announcing the protocol for the event will be revealed in September. Team NZ "revealed a couple of broader details," confirming the America's Cup match and the preceding challenger selection series will be held in Auckland in early '21 during the New Zealand summer. The "constructed in country rule -- one of the underlying principles of the event for many years -- has relaxed significantly over the past two editions." This year's event in Bermuda "only required a small portion of the bows be constructed in the country of origin." All of Oracle Team USA's boats and componentry for the past two editions have been built at Core Composites in Warkworth, NZ (NZ HERALD, 7/19). The AP reported nationality rules "were also relaxed to allow multinational crews," but Team NZ and Luna Rossa "appear to be working toward changes." Team NZ's statement "contains no reference to the type of yachts that will be used in the next regatta, leaving that as another factor that will be clarified" with the release of the protocol (AP, 7/18). STUFF's Clay Wilson reported Team NZ was "the only one of the five challengers" that took part in the 35th Cup not to sign a "framework agreement" for the regatta going forward. Among many terms, the agreement stipulated the Cup would be moved to a two-yearly cycle for its next two editions ('19 and '21) and "would continue to be raced in foiling catamarans." It "is expected the class of boat and eventual make-up of nationality requirements will be crucial" in determining the number and type of challengers that decide to take part in the next regatta. In the "immediate wake" of its victory in Bermuda, though, Team NZ Managing Dir Grant Dalton indicated the team "wanted to make the Cup as interesting and fair as possible." Dalton: "We need to put in place an exciting event that takes a lot of what has happened here because there's a lot of good that has happened" (STUFF, 7/19).