The Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series, is used as the selection series to determine who will race the Defender in the America’s Cup Finals. Scheduled for July 4 – September 1, 2013 on the San Francisco Bay, the Louis Vuitton Cup will see challengers from around the globe battle each other in a knockout series for the opportunity to compete for the America’s Cup.
View the schedule here.
Significantly, 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the first Louis Vuitton Cup, which took place in Newport, Rhode Island in 1983. It was an auspicious debut, as the winner of the first Louis Vuitton Cup, Australia II, went on to become the first challenger in the 132-history of the America’s Cup to beat the defender and take the Cup from the United States.
From that beginning, it’s clear that the Louis Vuitton Cup serves dual purposes – first to determine who will advance to the America’s Cup Finals, but also to prepare the Challenger to race on level terms with the Defender. Prior to the first Louis Vuitton Cup in 1983, no challenger had ever found success in unseating the US-based defender. But following that first win by Australia II, the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup has gone on to claim the America’s Cup four out of seven times.
Will this trend continue in San Francisco in 2013?
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