Ready about! A short history of the America’s Cup – in pictures

We take a look at the history of the world’s oldest international sporting competition as Great Britain prepare to lock horns with New Zealand

The painting The Yacht ‘America’ winning the International Race by Fitz Hugh Lane, captures the 100 Guineas Cup in 1851. The race was organised after the New York Yacht Club was invited to the Isle of Wight during the Great Exhibition year of 1851.

Photograph: Hugh Fitz Lane/Peabody Trust

In 1870 the Cambira of the Royal Thames Yacht Club travelled to Rhode Island with the aim of winning back ‘America’s Cup’ - a new name for the trophy was born. The New York Yacht Club’s schooner Magic was victorious, setting the tone for over a century of American dominance.

Photograph: Samuel Colman/Universal Images /Getty Images

“Althought I have no Navy, you can see what I can do, when I try.” A satire of the victory of the American ship, the Puritan over the British Ship, the Genesta in 1885. The transatlantic sporting rivalry had caught the public’s imagination.

Photograph: Bettmann Archive

The 1887 winner Volunteer, skippered by second-time winner Charles Jackson Paine.

Photograph: Niday Picture Library/Alamy

British challenger Sir Thomas Lipton’s Shamrock I (foreground) and JP Morgan’s Columbia, manoeuvre at the start of the 1889 America’s Cup race in Rhode Island.

Photograph: Interim Archives/Getty Images

The launch of Sir Thomas Sopwith’s all-steel yacht Endeavour, which was to challenge for the 1934 America’s Cup.

Photograph: A Hudson/Getty Images

Harold S Vanderbilt skippers the Rainbow on the way to victory over Sopwith’s Endeavour at Rhode Island in 1934.

Photograph: Bettmann Archive

Sopwith steering Endeavour II, was again the challenger in 1937, losing out to Vanderbilt again aboard Ranger.

Photograph: Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

The US crew looking relaxed as they balance Ranger during the race.

Photograph: Bettmann Archive

After an enforced break over the war years and beyond, Lt Commander Graham Mann, the helmsman of the Sceptre prepared unsuccessfully to challenge for the 1958 America’s Cup.

Photograph: Keystone Press/Alamy

The 1962 defender the Weatherly chases down the Australian yacht the Gretel, the first challenge for the Cup from a country other than Great Britain or Canada.

Photograph: Bettmann Archive

The 1962 race was watched by president John F Kennedy and and first lady Jackie from the deck of a frigate off Rhode Island.

Photograph: Everett/Shutterstock

Australia remained the challengers until 1983 when Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, finally wrestled the trophy from the US for the first time.

Photograph: Bob Child/AP

However the trophy was back in American hands at the first attempt. Stars and Stripes skipper Dennis Conner with US president Ronald Reagan at a celebratory White House reception in 1987.

Photograph: Bettmann Archive

… with some begrudging congratulations for Conner in Fremantle after his victory over Australia’s Kookaburra II.

Photograph: Alamy

In 1995 an Antipodean team was to challenge again, this time in the form of Black Magic from New Zealand. A fan gets in the mood in San Diego.

Photograph: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Peter Blake’s Black Magic took the trophy back to the southern hemisphere after defeating Dennis Conner’s Young America.

Photograph: Al Bello/Getty Images

Team New Zealand and Peter Blake received a ticker-tape welcome back in Auckland. Six years later, Blake, a national hero, was tragically killed by Amazonian pirates whilst on an environmental research expedition.

Photograph: Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

Team New Zealand are pursued by the Swiss Alinghi team in 2007. The Swiss boat prevailed in Valencia.

Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

The giant trimaran of US challenger BMW Oracle Racing at the start of the opening race of the 33rd America’s Cup off Valencia’s coast in 2010. The cup headed back over the Atlantic after victory for the Americans.

Photograph: Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Fleet and spectator boats follow Oracle Team USA as it celebrates its victory over Emirates Team New Zealand in the 34th America’s Cup in September 2013 in San Francisco.

Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Team New Zealand regained the America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017.

Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Auckland hosted the last America’s Cup in 2021, when Emirates Team New Zealand saw off the challenge from the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team.

Photograph: Sailing Energy/Getty Images

Glenn Ashby of Emirates Team New Zealand celebrates after winning the America’s Cup in 2021. Will they hold on to the trophy?

Photograph: Sailing Energy/Getty Images