Editing America's Cup (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of the America's Cup}}

The America's Cup is the oldest competition in international sport, and the fourth oldest continuous sporting trophy of any kind.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 7, 2019 |title=10 Oldest Sports Trophies in the World |url=https://www.oldest.org/sports/sports-trophies/}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2024}} The cup itself was manufactured in 1848 and first called the "RYS £100 Cup". It was first raced for on 22 August 1851 around the Isle of Wight off [[Southampton]] and [[Portsmouth]] in [[Hampshire]], [[England]], in a fleet race between the [[New York Yacht Club]]'s ''[[America (yacht)|America]]'' and 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The race was witnessed by [[Queen Victoria]] and the future [[Edward VII]] and won by ''America''. This is considered to be the first America's Cup race.

On 8 July 1857, the surviving members of the ''[[America (yacht)|America]]'' syndicate donated the cup to the New York Yacht Club via the [[Deed of Gift of the America's Cup]] filed with the [[New York Supreme Court]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Schuyler |first=George Lee |title=Deed of Gift[1] |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Deed_of_Gift |via=Wikisource}}</ref> The deed is the primary instrument that governs the rules to make a valid challenge for the America's Cup and the rules of conduct of the races. It states that the cup "is donated upon the condition that it shall be preserved as a perpetual challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries". The deed also outlines how a foreign yacht club can make a challenge to the holder of the cup and what happens if the clubs do not agree on the conduct of the match. The deed makes it "distinctly understood that the cup is to be the property of the club [that has most recently won a match for the cup], subject to the provisions of this deed, and not the property of the owner or owners of any vessel winning a match".

The trophy was held by the NYYC from 1857 until [[1983 America's Cup|1983]]. The NYYC successfully defended the trophy 24 times in a row before being defeated by the [[Royal Perth Yacht Club]], represented by the yacht ''[[Australia II]]''. Including the original 1851 victory, the NYYC's 132-year reign was the longest (in terms of time) [[winning streak]] in any sport.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[John Rousmaniere]] |title=The America's Cup 1851–1983 |publisher=Pelham Books |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-7207-1503-3}}</ref>

Early matches for the cup were raced between yachts {{convert|65|–|90|ft|m|abbr=on}} on the waterline owned by wealthy sportsmen. This culminated with the [[J-class yacht|J-Class]] regattas of the 1930s. After [[World War II]] and almost twenty years without a challenge, the NYYC made changes to the deed of gift to allow smaller, less expensive [[12-metre class]] yachts to compete; this class was used from 1958 until 1987. It was replaced in 1990 by the [[International America's Cup Class]], which was used until 2007.

After a long legal battle, the [[2010 America's Cup]] was raced in {{convert|90|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Waterline length|waterline]] multihull yachts in Valencia, Spain. The victorious [[Golden Gate Yacht Club]] then elected to race the [[2013 America's Cup]] in [[AC72]] foiling, wing-sail catamarans and successfully defended the cup. The [[2017 America's Cup]] match was sailed in {{Convert|50|ft|m|abbr=on}} foiling catamarans,<ref>{{cite web |author=BBC Staff Reporters |date=2 April 2015 |title=America's Cup: Sir Ben Ainslie backs move to smaller boats |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/sailing/32169089 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403130926/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/sailing/32169089 |archive-date=3 April 2015 |access-date=3 April 2015 |work=BBC, London}}</ref> after legal battles and disputes over the rule changes.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/03/americas-cup-ben-ainslie-luna-rossa-row "America's Cup boat size row escalates as teams close ranks after Luna Rossa exit"], ''The Guardian'', 3 April 2015. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414204724/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/03/americas-cup-ben-ainslie-luna-rossa-row|date=14 April 2016}}.</ref>