Comments overheard recently: Is this the longest America's Cup EVER? Would the Kiwis just cross the line and finish it already? Think it's fixed? There's only one American on Oracle anyway...
Thanks to a tidbit Scuttlebutt published (see below), we learned that it's not the longest AC ever. Yet. After today's race(s), maybe. All ETNZ needs to do is win one race to win the Cup.
Racing starts at 4:15 p.m. today Eastern Time.
1899 - New York City (USA), 18 days
The 10th Match has long held the duration record, taking 18 days for J.P. Morgan's Columbia and Sir Thomas Lipton's first Shamrock to get in a mere three races off New York, in weather that began with a summery calm and ended with the first taste of winter. The firs race, scheduled for Oct. 3, suffered seven failed tries before it was finally completed on Oct. 16 with a Columbia win. The second race was completed on the first attempt, on Oct. 17. Columbia won after Shamrock dropped out with a broken topmast. For race three on Oct. 19, the first attempt was abandoned due to calm, but the next day, a strong northerly (described by an observer as "sharp and frosty") blew in. Columbia won the race and the match.
1970 - Newport (USA), 14 days
The US defender, Intrepid, skippered by Bill Stawbridge, defeated the Australian challenger, Gretel II, skippered by James Hardy, four races to one. The first race was Sept. 15 and the last Sept. 28, with many race days postponed due to fog or calm, with both boats calling for lay days.
