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America's Cup, also known as the 'Auld Mug,' is the oldest active international sailing yacht competition.
America's Cup, also known as the 'Auld Mug,' is the oldest active international sailing yacht competition.
AMERICA'S CUP
Join in the oldest international sailing yacht competition with America’s Cup, a regatta that also goes by the name ‘Auld Mug.’ For those that love a good challenge, this technical sporting event is one that drives match racing as well as one-on-one races. Unlike many of the other yacht charter sailing events, this one takes places every three or four years. The former winner is the host.
The biggest yachtsmen and women around the world refer to this as the “Holy Grail of Yachting.” America’s Cup holds the title for being the oldest active international competition that has a trophy waiting for the winner of this challenging regatta claim. It beats the FA Cup by well over 20 years and is almost five decades older than the Olympics as we know them in modern times. This yachting event is for serious sailors and the leading yacht creators of the world to come to show their presence.
This regatta is named for the first winner of the first competition it ever held. The schooner that won was called America, taking the Cup home in 1852. The winner of the trophy keeps it until the next competition and changes hands when the champion is defeated. Incredibly, the schooner by the name of America won for 132 years, a streak of winning that shatters any in sports history. It finally lost in 1983 to the Australia II, and the trophy went to Australia.
Now America’s Cup yachting event goes for a best-of-nine series with the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup and the reigning champ of America’s Cup. This method of competition for the coveted cup began in 1970. It’s a prestigious cup and event and was even highlighted in a movie called Wind from 1992. The film revolved around Dennis Conner’s loss in 1983 to Australia and his efforts to successfully get the cup back during the next race.
Another fun fact is that Goodyear Tire Company has a tradition of naming its blimps after the champions of America’s Cup. The former chairman of Goodyear, Paul Litchfield, claimed that blimps were merely “aerial yachts.” That’s why the blimps have held names like America, Mayflower, Enterprise, and Stars & Stripes.