Auckland gets Cup warmup

Auckland and Portsmouth have will host America’s Cup world series regattas next year.

They join Cagliari in Italy as the venues for the three regatta series that will build into the 2021 America’s Cup in Auckland.

Team New Zealand’s naming sponsor Emirates has flown in to back the British event that will be sailed on the Solent from June 4-7.

The Auckland event will be sailed as part of the Christmas Race from December 17-20, giving all the teams a feel for racing in conditions for the following Prada Cup challenger series.

The winner of that will face Team NZ for the America’s Cup from March 6-21 in 2021.

The first racing involving the new 75-foot foiling monohulls will be at the already announced Italian regatta from April 26-23 next year.

‘‘Portsmouth was a fanatically supportive city for the ACWS in 2015 and 2016, so we are looking forward to getting back there. The difference this time is the racing will be in the new AC75’s which will be a spectacle like nothing seen before on the Solent,’’ Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton said as next year’s itinerary was completed.

The infrastructure for team bases at Auckland’s Viaduct Basin continues to be built on schedule.

The foundations are in place for the four challengers who are expected to start construction of their bases early next year.

The teams will likely relocate to Auckland around August next year to begin serious training amidst the launch of their second AC75s.