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The America's Cup is one of the oldest international sporting trophies in history. John Cox Stevens, a member of the NYYC, formed a six-person syndicate to build a yacht to take to England and race it to make some money. In 1851, the Royal Yacht Squadron from England and the New York Yacht Club raced around the Isle of Wight in England. The NY yacht club won, quickly renaming the sport “America’s Cup”.

The sport is a competition between two sailing yachts. One yacht is the defender who represents the yacht club (holder of the America’s Cup) and the second yacht is the challenger, representing the yacht club that is challenging for the cup.

The timing of each competition is determined by an agreement between the defender and challenger. The requirement to join the sport is specified in the Deed of Gift to the yacht club who wants to challenge and try to win the cup. If the challenger win, they gain the stewardship of the cup.

The New York Yacht Club held the trophy from 1957 until 1983. The original trophy was donated to the NYYC. In 1983, the Royal Perth Yacht Club won the cup from the NYYC, breaking the longest winning streak in history of sport. The RPYC was represented by the yacht Australia II.

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From 1870 until 1967, only one team had challenged for the cup. In 1970 there were quite a few challengers, so the NYYC accepted them all and ran a competition, with the winner competing against the NYYC.

Recent Results

2013 - One of the greatest ever sporting comebacks was provided by the America's Cup sailing race held in San Francisco. The US Oracle Team came back from being 1-8 down to win 9-8 against Team New Zealand. 

2017 - The challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand beat Oracle Team USA 7 races to 1.

2021 - the 36th America's Cup was contested between Te Rehutai, sailed by Emirates Team New Zealand on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and the winner of the 2021 Prada Cup (challenger series). In the final series, Team New Zealand retained the America's Cup, beating Italian challenger Luna Rossa 7-3.

2024 - the 37th America's Cup. The defending club, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, sailing a AC75 (the same boat design as in 2021), competed against the challenger series winner, Royal Yacht Squadron of the United Kingdom. The team from NZ won 7-2. It was the first time the UK has sailed in an America’s Cup match since 1964.

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Related Pages

• Winners List of the America's Cup
• America's Cup Trivia
• Other major sailing events
• More about the sport of sailing