The inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup 2024 will be the first time an official Women’s America’s Cup event takes place, giving female sailors a chance to compete on the America’s Cup stage. Racing is due to start on Saturday 5 October in Barcelona.

The event aims to spotlight women’s participation in high-performance sailing and create a pathway to the main America’s Cup. Here’s what to know about the upcoming competition:

The Women’s America’s Cup regatta

The Puig Women’s America’s Cup will take place from October 5 to 13, 2024, following both the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and the Youth America’s Cup. The teams will be racing in AC40 foiling yachts in a fleet race format. The event will culminate in a final match race on October 13 to determine the winner.

In terms of format, the competition begins with a Qualification Series, in which twelve teams—split between America’s Cup teams and Invited Teams—will compete in a series of fleet races. The top three teams from each group will progress to the Semi-Final Series on October 11, followed by a Final Match Race to decide the overall champion.

Competition has been tight in the practise racing so far. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Women’s America’s Cup Venue: Port Olímpic, Barcelona

The races will take place at Port Olímpic in Barcelona, an area that was developed for the 1992 Olympic Games and has recently been renovated and is the location for the America’s Cup itself and the previosu Youth AC. The port’s location along Barcelona’s waterfront provides spectators with excellent viewing opportunities, with the course set near the city’s popular beaches.

The Women’s America’s Cup Boats

To the chagrin of those hoping for a full-blown Women’s America’s Cup, the racing in this first edition of the regatta will reflect the Youth America’s Cup and, as such, will take place in  the America’s Cup Class’ little sister, the one-design AC40 yachts.

With only four crew members onboard the AC40 there is a reliance on a variety of automated systems, including a battery powered system replacing the need for grinders, and automated controls to adjust foiling height and self-tacking headsails.

The foiling monohulls have proced themselves to be an exciting class to watch in the America’s Cup Preliminary racing and in the recent Youth America’s Cup where the front of the fleet were vying for position throughout.

All the Olympic medalists set to compete in the Women’s America’s Cup. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Women’s America’s Cup Teams

A total of twelve teams will compete in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, divided into two groups:

Group A: America’s Cup Teams

New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)
Great Britain (Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd)
Switzerland (Société Nautique de Genève)
USA (New York Yacht Club)
Italy (Circolo della Vela Sicilia)
France (Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez)

Group B: Invited Teams

Spain (Royal Barcelona Yacht Club)
The Netherlands (Royal Netherlands Yacht Club & Royal Maas Yacht Club)
Canada (Royal Vancouver Yacht Club)
Germany (Kieler Yacht Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Bayrischer Yacht Club & Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee)
Sweden (Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club)
Australia (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia)

The teams are made up of some of the best female sailors from around the world, including Olympians and world champions, competing in what will be a landmark event for women’s sailing.

How to Follow the Action

The races will be available for a global audience to follow, with broadcasts across free-to-air channels and online streaming platforms. The timing of the Women’s America’s Cup matches has been scheduled to coincide with major America’s Cup events, helping to draw attention to this new competition.

Follow all of our 2024 America’s Cup coverage