The Auld Mug, backed by Sir Peter Blake, during the America's Cup parade in Wellington, New Zealand, 2000. Image copyright Anne Hinton, all rights reserved.
by Tim Jeffery
The iconic America's Cup trophy returns to Cowes, England, when the recent Cup winner BMW ORACLE Racing takes on TeamOrigin during the annual Cowes Week reagtta.
The public is invited to view the "Auld Mug", which will be on display for four day beginning Tuesday, 3rd August.
"The America's Cup has such a magical appeal it transcends the sport of sailing," said BMW ORACLE Racing CEO Russell Coutts. "For centuries it has inspired businessmen, entrepreneurs, sailors and yacht designers to grand acts, all in pursuit of winning it. We're proud to have the opportunity to present it to the public in Cowes."
The legend that id the America's Cup was born in 1851 in a race around the Isle of Wight. The schooner America, led by a syndicate of siy businessmen from New York, conquered a feelt of British yachts to win what was then known as the Hundred Guinea Cup.
The trophy was later renamed the America's Cup after the winning yacht when it was donated to the New York Yacht Club as a perpetual challenge trophy for competition among foreign countries.
BMW ORACLE Racing won the 33rd America's Cup last February in Valencia, Spain. Since then BMW ORACLE Racing has showcased the America's Cup in venues around the world, including: San Francisco, California, USA (home of BMW ORACLE Racing's club, the Golden Gate Yacht Club); Auckland, New Zealand; San Diego, California; Sardinia, Italy; Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
On June 29 the Cup and team visited The White House, Washington, D.C., at the invitation of US President Barack Obama.
The America's Cup stood 27 inches (68cm) in height when originally crafted in 1848, but since every race of each match is engraved on the trophy additional bases have increased its height to 44 inches (111cm). The trophy weighs 32.4 pounds (14.7kg).
BMW ORACLE Racing and TeamOrigin, led by their skippers James Spithill of Australia and Ben Ainslie of the UK, will contest a series of match races off Cowes, Isle of Wight, 3-6 August.
On Thursday, 5th August, the two teams are scheduled to sail the famous course around the island.
BMW ORACLE Racing
