LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Airline Emirates have renewed their partnership as naming sponsor of New Zealand as the team step up their preparations to defend the America's Cup in Naples next year.
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ben Ainslie's British crew in the America's Cup Match final in Barcelona in 2024, tightening their grip on the oldest trophy in international sport.
"By lifting the Auld Mug for a third consecutive time, Emirates Team New Zealand has charted a course that no team in America's Cup history has achieved before," Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Since their victory in the 37th edition of the 174-year-old event, the New Zealand team led by Chief Executive Grant Dalton have signed up to the America's Cup Partnership (ACP), a framework which aims to provide continuity for sponsors.
"Having Emirates alongside us again gives the team enormous confidence as we take on the responsibility of defending the America's Cup ... and our focus is firmly on preparing to perform at our best," Dalton added.
The 38th America's Cup, which is sponsored by Louis Vuitton, will see teams returning to race in AC75 foiling monohulls. The Louis Vuitton Cup will decide which of the challengers earns the right to race the defenders in the America's Cup Match.
The five founding teams of the ACP - Emirates Team New Zealand, Britain's GB1, Italy's Luna Rossa, Switzerland's Tudor Team Alinghi and France's K-Challenge - are due to announce the dates and details of the next America's Cup on Wednesday.
Earlier, Ben Ainslie's British team said they would compete for the America's Cup as GB1 and named Dylan Fletcher as helm for their latest campaign to lift the coveted trophy.
GB1 did not name a second helm for Ainslie's fourth consecutive attempt to "bring the Cup home", which is backed by Oakley Capital, an investment firm which last month took a majority ownership stake in his America's Cup team.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
