UniCredit is making its sailing debut with its support for the third edition of the Youth America's Cup and the naming partner announcement of the UniCredit Youth America's Cup Regatta.
The UniCredit Youth America's Cup will take place from 17th - 26th September in Barcelona and is open to young people aged between 18 and 25. Racing can be watched from the beach and the entire 37th America's Cup is free for spectators to attend. The Event is also globally live on free to air broadcast channels and online.
The UniCredit Youth America's Cup will showcase the world's best young sailors from 12 countries and be a test of team spirit, intuition, leadership, and aptitude as teams fight for the ultimate in yacht racing glory. UniCredit is committed to unlocking young people's potential and this race will seek to promote the next generation of talent on a global stage.
UniCredit is also proud to sponsor the America's Cup itself - one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world - as a Global Partner and Global Banking Partner.
Sustainability and promotion of sustainable economic and social development are at the core of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup, in line with UniCredit's own commitments.
Alongside the established six America's Cup teams (New Zealand, Great Britain, USA, Italy, Switzerland and France), a further six entries have been received from Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia with all the teams undertaking extensive selection trials to uncover future talent. The UniCredit Youth America's Cup will be one of the highlights of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, attracting and giving a platform to the next generation of élite professional sailors.
The official racing will be preceded by five and a half-scheduled days of practice for the six invited 'non-America's Cup' teams and one-half day of practice for the America's Cup teams that runs from the 10th-15th September. The fleets are then split between the invited teams and the America's Cup teams.
Racing in each event will take place in the world's most exciting new foiling class, the AC40, all equalized with standard components in strict one-design monohulls to highlight the raw sailing talent of the youth sailors.
"I am proud to see that younger generations are approaching a sport which is founded on team spirit, intuition and determined pursuit of a common goal" said Andrea Orcel, UniCredit Group CEO. "We are proud to be partnering with an event that showcases talent and prioritizes environmental and sustainable practices. This is fully aligned with UniCredit's own strategy."
The opening qualification rounds will see a total of eight races completed for both groups and the top three teams from each group will progress into the Final Series of four races. For the Grand Finale on 26th September, the UniCredit Youth America's Cup Final will take place with the top two teams going head-to-head in a winner-takes-all match race for the title and UniCredit Youth America's Cup trophy. UniCredit will design and create this trophy that will be revealed in Spring 2024.
America's Cup Event CEO Grant Dalton is looking forward to what will be a major highlight of the packed AC37 calendar. "The UniCredit Youth America's Cup is a glimpse to the future talent of the America's Cup, an opportunity for the sailors from all 12 countries to build the foundations of potential new America's Cup teams and stake their claim to future America's Cup glory.
A fleet of AC40s racing off Barcelona's beachfront with the world's best youth sailors will be a spectacle in itself and having UniCredit's commitment to inspiring and nurturing youth talent makes them a perfect partner for this special event."
Milan, 15 February 2024
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