The America’s Cup begins in Barcelona this weekend as Ben Ainslie looks to ends Great Britain’s 173-year wait for a victory.
INEOS Britannia are making their first appearance in the final of the iconic sailing event for 60 years, earning their spot by beating Italy.
They are up against defending champions New Zealand, who have won the last two competitions.
Here’s everything you need to know.
America’s Cup 2024: How it works
The America’s Cup began in 1851 and sees two teams square off in a best-of-13 format. A team wins the competition when they reach seven victories.
Every race is split into six legs. The two teams race upwind on the opening leg before sailing downwind on the second, repeating that process until all six legs are complete. The team who have won the most legs will claim a point towards their target of seven.
The waters of Port Olimpic in Barcelona host this year’s final. It is a 3.2km course and boasts must stay within a 0.9km width restriction. A penalty is issued to a team that goes too far.
Ben Ainslie is attempting to win the America’s Cup for Britain
REUTERS
America’s Cup 2024: Race schedule and results
(Races scheduled for 1pm BST and subject to weather conditions)
Saturday, October 12: Race 1, Race 2
Sunday, October 13: Race 3, Race 4
Monday, October 14: Reserve day if required
Tuesday, October 15: No racing scheduled
Wednesday, October 16: Race 5, Race 6
Thursday, October 17: Reserve day if required
Friday, October 18: Race 7, Race 8 if required
Saturday, October 19: Race 9 if required, Race 10 if required
Sunday, October 20: Race 11 if required, Race 12 if required
Monday, October 21: Race 13 if required
Tuesday, October 22 –Sunday, October 27: Reserve days if required
America’s Cup 2024: How to watch
TV channel: In the UK, the competition will be shown on TNT Sports .
Live stream: Subscribers to TNT Sports will be able to watch via the Discovery+ app.
