America’s Cup Endeavour Junior Regattas – Program of events announced

by America's Cup on 12 May 2017 The full program of events that will make up the America’s Cup Endeavour Junior Regattas has been announced, with practice and race events scheduled to take place in Bermuda, home of the 35th America’s Cup, between 14th and 24th June, featuring four different classes of race events; O’pen BIC, RS Feva, Hobie Wave and Blokart.

Hundreds of children from Bermuda and around the world will take part in this prestigious and fun series of events, designed to inspire everyone taking part and watching, and to give the young sailors a chance to compete on the same water as the America’s Cup teams.

Tom Herbert-Evans, Community Sailing Manager for the 35th America’s Cup said, “We cannot wait to welcome everyone involved in the America’s Cup Endeavour Junior Regattas to Bermuda to take part in our fantastic series of events. Qualification and selection events have been running around the world since September 2016 to identify all the kids who will take part and now we will have more than 160 young people involved in our events in June.

“The America’s Cup Endeavour Program is designed to inspire and educate everyone who takes part and I am sure that the America’s Cup Endeavour Junior Regattas will do just that.”

First on the schedule is the O’pen BIC class which will feature 32 boats in total, including six competitors from Bermuda and the remaining 26 from around the world, again all under 15 years years of age.

Official practice for the O’pen BIC class events will take place on 14th June and fleet racing on the 15th and 16th. The O’pen BIC boats will also feature in the America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton Halftime Show, this time on 17th June. That event will feature an “Unregatta–style” course, incorporating the Bridge of Doom, a world first limbo-style obstacle on the racecourse that requires sailors to heel their boats over to pass through the obstacle, increasing the fun element but also giving the sailors a serious test of sailing skills. Finally, on 18th July, the America's Cup will showcase the first ever junior foiling exhibition in front of the America’s Cup Village on foiling O'pen BICs.

Nevin Sayre from O'pen BIC North America said, 'The America's Cup is the cutting edge of sailing. We at O’pen BIC consider the O'pen BIC Class to be the cutting edge of Junior Sailing. It is a perfect fit that 32 O'pen BIC sailors have qualified from around the world to compete in Bermuda, and will take center stage in the Half-Time Show between race one and race two of the America's Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton. We are excited to showcase our new generation boats and competition formats that are at the forefront of junior sailing.'

The RS Feva event will feature 16 teams in total, including three from Bermuda, with two team members on each of the 16 boats competing on the Great Sound. All the competitors are under 15 years of age and they will be taking part in official practice on 14th June and then fleet racing on 15th and 16th June, racing on Bermuda’s Great Sound with precise race course locations determined by weather conditions on the day. The final RS Feva event will be an exhibition race on 18th June, during the Halftime Show in the America’s Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton, on a racecourse between the America’s Cup finish line and the America’s Cup Village Grandstand, all on a slalom course.

RS Sailing Managing Director Jon Partridge said, “Myself, my team here at RS Sailing and all the RS Feva Class Associations from around the world are extremely excited to see the RS Feva being used as part of the America’s Cup Endeavour Program and America’s Cup Endeavour Junior Regattas. To be able to give so many young sailors from around the world the opportunity to enjoy this amazing event, and to showcase their sailing in the RS Feva, is incredibly exciting and we feel very privileged to be part of it all.”

The final class on the water is the Hobie Wave competition which features two kids on each boat, with two teams from Bermuda, and 12 teams in total. Official practice for the Hobie Wave event is on 21st June and their fleet racing will take place on 22nd, 23rd and 24th June. Hobie Waves will also feature in an exhibition race on 24th June in the America’s Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton Halftime Show. The racecourse for that event will replicate the America’s Cup racecourse with a reaching start, a windward gate and a leeward gate.

Hobie® is proud to be associated with the America’s Cup Endeavour Program. Twenty-four junior sailors from around the world, will be competing June 21-24. They will be racing Hobie Wave catamarans, on the same waters as the America’s Cup teams, during the 35th America's Cup on Bermuda’s Great Sound. “The Waves are just like the America's Cup boats but smaller, so you can get to experience how the America's Cup catamarans feel,” says Rose, a Bermuda High School student. “It takes a crew to go fast so you can build team work, just like on an America’s Cup Class boat.” This is an excellent opportunity for these sailors to meet, compete and make new friends. When the America’s Cup was switched to multihulls, sailors worldwide looked to Hobie Cat for the opportunity to keep their dreams alive, training and competing at this high level. The International Hobie Class Association is pleased that our junior sailors have been given the opportunity to race with the stars of sailing, at this prestigious event.

The America’s Cup Endeavour Junior Regattas do not just take place on land, they also features a Blokart event which will take place at Morgan’s Point, Bermuda.

The Blokart event will be contested by 80 young people from Bermuda, competing in two age groups; 40 in the group up to and including 13 years of age and the other 40 in a group from 14 to 18 years old. There will be a Blokart exhibition day on 20th June in the America’s Cup Village, in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup boat park, and then the fleet racing events themselves will take place at Morgan’s Point on 21st and 22nd June.

Matt Beckett, General Manager of Blokart International said, “Blokart International is proud to be involved with the America's Cup Endeavor Program. Having the Blokart used to teach sailing geometry and the dynamics of sailing faster than the wind, without having to go afloat, has been a special opportunity for us. Partnering with the America’s Cup Endeavor Program has been a great way to be involved with the America's Cup, putting back into the local community and investing in the future of sailing.”