The British will fight New Zealand for the America's Cup

After very close racing days, finally Ineos Britannia has defeated Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, and has emerged as the team that will compete in the America's Cup final against the defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand.

This will be the first time in 60 years that the British team has a chance to win the trophy in the regatta final. The competition originated precisely in the United Kingdom, but the British have never managed to win it in its 173-year history, something they intend to change in this edition.

With the victory over Luna Rossa, Ineos Britannia has also won the Louis Vuitton Cup for the first time. They did so with seven victories, compared to four for the Italian team, which in the last edition was the team that competed against New Zealand in the final.

The British victory came on a seventh day that had started with the score six to four, and in which Ineos Britannia achieved the seventh point needed to win.

The women's category begins

After months of an America's Cup with almost exclusive male protagonism, the time has come for the sailors who will compete in the first women's category in the history of the competition. This is a historic milestone, as the America's Cup has had to wait 137 years and its edition in Barcelona to have a women's category. The competition aspires to represent a before and after in sailing, and a relevant step for future sailors, who gain new role models.

The 12 participating teams will compete starting this Saturday, divided into two groups: that of the six teams already participating in the America's Cup, and that of the six invited teams, among which is Sail Team BCN. The qualification series will consist of eight races for both groups, which will determine the top three from each of them.

These three teams from each group will advance to a final series of four races to decide the top two, who will face each other in a match race in which the winner will take home the trophy of the first Puig Women's Cup. This final regatta will be held on October 13, one day after the America's Cup final regatta between New Zealanders and Britons also begins.

The fleets of the 12 formations are full of decorated sailors, including Olympic medalists. The teams, which have based themselves in the recently renovated Port Olímpic, include a total of seven gold, ten silver, and four bronze medalists. They will compete aboard AC40 boats, which reach 80 kilometers per hour.

The trophy is not the only thing at stake in the competition: it will also serve as a showcase for the sailors, as the regatta represents a gateway to the major teams and the AC75 boats of the absolute category, larger and even faster than the AC40s. Furthermore, the competition will pave the way for new generations of sailors, in a women's category that aims to consolidate and be a first step to go further, and for the role of women to transcend the category to conquer spaces still mainly dominated by men.