The 2007 America's Cup was the thirty-second challenge for the America's Cup and was won by Alinghi in the 7th race. The Cup is the most famous and most prestigious regatta and Match Race in the sport of sailing.
By winning the 32nd America's Cup, Alinghi changed what seemed to have become a tradition: that the winner of race three goes on to win the match. Emirates Team New Zealand, despite winning the third heat, was not able to capture the Cup. The score of the 32nd America's Cup has also differentiated the match from previous editions. The past three America's Cups – 1995, 2000 and 2003 – were all sweeps.
Eleven challengers from nine countries submitted formal entries prior to the closing deadline of April 29, 2005.
In preparation for the 2007 America's Cup, there were a series of regattas leading up to the Cup races, called "Acts" which culminated in the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup. The winner, Emirates Team New Zealand, became the Challenger and raced against the Defender, Alinghi, for the America's Cup.
In 2004, there were three acts, Act 1 held September 2004 in Marseille, France; Act 2 held October 2004 in Valencia, Spain; and Act 3 held October 2004, also in Valencia. These events featured fleet and match racing between America's Cup class yachts representing the syndicates that were vying for selection as challenger for the America's Cup in 2007. Points were awarded for each Act, and the team with the highest score at the end of the year is declared the ACC (America's Cup Class) Champion for that year. In 2004, Emirates Team New Zealand narrowly won over second place American challenger BMW Oracle Racing and third place Swiss defender Team Alinghi.
The schedule of Acts in 2005 included Acts 4 and 5 in Valencia (June 16-June 26), Acts 6 and 7 in Malmö, Sweden (August 25-September 4) and Acts 8 and 9 in Trapani, Italy (September 29-October 9).
2007 America's Cup program and results
All races were run on a windward-leeward course consisting of four legs with legs 1 and 4 being 3.3 nautical miles (6.1km) in length, and legs 2 and 3 being 3.0 nautical miles (5.6km) for a total of 12.6 nautical miles (23.3km).
In the results table below, the team entering the starting area from the side (i.e. entering from the right-hand side on starboard tack) has a slight advantage. The team was decided for the first race by the toss of a coin. side advantage then alternates race by race.
Stable 12 knots (22km/h) breeze with choppy sea. No aggression in the pre-start with both teams making good starts. Alinghi led by 0:13 at the first mark and 0:14 at the final turning mark.
10 knots (19km/h) breeze. Aggressive pre-start with ETNZ winning the start but Alinghi led at the first two marks. Alinghi did not apply a tight cover allowing ETNZ to benefit and lead through to the finish.
Very light breeze with race start postponed twice. Aggression from Alinghi forced a poor start by ETNZ who used conditions better to lead by 1:23 at the 1st mark. The gap closed right up when ETNZ could not sheet their jib due to a spinnaker handling error. Alinghi leading at the start of the final leg allowed a left/right separation of more than a kilometre to develop. Closing the finish line ETNZ gybed slightly in front of Alinghi to win.
Tricky 8 to 10-knot (19km/h) breeze. Alinghi made excellent full-speed start and rounded first mark 20 seconds ahead. ETNZ then made small gains but suffered wrap in the spinnaker during a gybe, allowing Alinghi to extend their lead. ETNZ continued attacking through to the finish.
Perfect 15 knots (28km/h) sea breeze. Aggressive pre-start. ETNZ forced Alinghi across the top of the Race Committee boat and into the spectator fleet. ETNZ led by 0:12 at the first mark. For the 3rd race running ETNZ had spinnaker problems. A small rip developed in the spinnaker which then blew apart. The 2nd spinnaker was hoisted before it had been properly attached and blew like a flag from the mast head. The third spinnaker set worked after 4 minutes of chaos but Alinghi by now had gone into the lead. ETNZ got to within three boat lengths on the 2nd beat and within one boat length on the final leg but Alinghi led through to the finish.
Aggressive pre-start but each team made a good start. ETNZ led at the first two marks. After a tacking duel where Alinghi got a right hand shift, Alinghi led at the 3rd mark through to the finish.
Aggressive pre-start with both boats at full speed off the line. Alinghi rounded the windward mark 7 seconds ahead. Down the run, spinnaker handling by ETNZ looked a little better and at the bottom gate ETNZ rounded the left-hand mark and Alinghi rounded the right-hand mark 14 seconds behind. ETNZ tacked over to loose-cover Alinghi and a tacking duel ensued with Alinghi making very slight gains on each tack until eventually, still a boat length ahead, ETNZ disengaged. ETNZ tacked onto port to lay the mark and immediately bore away to go under Alinghi who was on starboard. Alinghi flew a Y flag in protest, and the Umpires awarded a penalty against ETNZ for not keeping clear. ETNZ rounded the final mark 12 seconds behind. On the run to the finish ETNZ could not close the gap until Alinghi, on their final approach to the finish, had their spinnaker pole fly off the mast collapsing the spinnaker, coinciding with a drop in the breeze and a massive 120 degree windshift to forward. Alinghi, now virtually stationary, was being overtaken. Now heading upwind (due to the massive windshift) to the line, ETNZ tacked from starboard to port and then back to starboard to satisfy their penalty, but did so with too much distance before the line, enabling Alinghi to squeeze across the finish line 1 second ahead while ETNZ was downspeed from the penalty tacks.
↑ Right after race 4, the measurement committee held their usual after race inspection and on this occasion asked both teams to drop their mainsail unaided as required by rule 31.6. Emirates Team New Zealand complied. Alinghi requested that they wanted to send a man up the mast to attach a halyard to the top of the sail to prevent the sail crashing down and getting damaged once the mast head sail lock was released. The measurers agreed and Pieter van Nieuwenhuyzen went up the mast, attached a halyard and then indicated that he was finished. The sail was then unlatched and it dropped. TV analysis by Emirates Team New Zealand showed that van Nieuwenhuyzen's foot touched the mainsail as it was dropping. Emirates Team New Zealand protested that the drop was in fact assisted. The jury found that the Alinghi crew member accidentally touched the sail but this event did not assist in allowing the sail to drop. Alinghi had complied with the unassisted dropping of the mainsail and the protest was rejected. The jury also ruled that in future technical protests such as this would be resolved by the measurement committee.
The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. Matches are held several years apart on dates agreed between the defender and the challenger. There is no fixed schedule, but the races have generally been held every three to four years. The most recent America's Cup match took place in March 2021.
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