Sport
America's Cup 2017: The world's greatest boat show
Published 1603 GMT (0003 HKT) September 15, 2016
Share
1 of 9
In December, the competing nations will launch their race boats for next year's America's Cup in Bermuda. Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Each vessel will be 50 feet long, weighing 2.4 tons and crewed by six sailors -- but the technological innovations will remain a jealously-guarded secret. Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
Groupama Team France's yacht takes flight as it races in Portsmouth in July. The 2015-16 World Series has allowed teams to gather racing data from the AC45 catamarans as they fine-tune the AC50 designs. Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
The race boats will be able to reach top speeds in excess of 45 knots (50 mph). Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
Oracle Team USA (pictured in Portsmouth) will defend its title in Bermuda. Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
SoftBank Team Japan is the island nation's first flagged challenger since 2000.
Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
Sweden's Artemis Racing team will be hoping to improve on its 2013 effort, when it failed to get past the challenger series. Artemis won September's leg of the World Series in Toulon. Paul Cunningham - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Corbis via Getty Images
Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR team was a popular winner of the series event at its home port of Portsmouth. Lloyd Images
Ainslie's team is hoping its hi-tech approach -- which includes the use of artificial intelligence -- will make it the first from Britain to win the America's Cup competition, which began in 1851. Lloyd Images