America's Cup: 10... 9... the countdown is on! Facts and stories for fans

No sailing trophy is as difficult to win as the America's Cup, no internationally contested sports trophy as old as the ornate silver jug. These are the two main reasons for the fascination that the America's Cup exerts on its fans: a colourful history and a high-calibre competition between the most famous sailing heroes of their time.

"The America's Cup is as hard as it is to win it." This is how Jochen Schümann, who lifted the trophy in 2003 and 2007 with the Swiss team Alinghi, once described it. When the London court jeweller Garrard created the jug in 1848, it was just 71 centimetres high. Today, the "Auld Mug" - also known as the bottomless jug because of the huge sums it has cost competitors over the course of more than a century and a half - measures an impressive 109.5 centimetres from the base to the top and weighs 17.7 kilograms.

This is a beautifully and cheerfully staged historical review of the race that founded the America's Cup in 1851. If you listen and watch carefully, you will learn that even back then the rules were not the same for everyone...

The value it has for many people is incomparably higher. It was almost melted down and turned into medals for each crew member by the first American winners, who won it on the "America" in a race around the Isle of Wight and took it across the pond. But it was preserved. For 132 years, the Cup resided bolted to an oak table in the New York Yacht Club. There was a proverbial law there: if the club ever lost the Cup, it would be replaced by the head of the man responsible.

When the New York nightmare actually came true in 1983 and Australia won, the three-time victorious "Mr America's Cup" Dennis Conner was mercifully spared the guillotine. He redeemed the dishonour he had suffered himself and brought the sailing world's Oscar back to the United States as quickly as possible. After Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland were able to win the Cup and defend it once each before the Americans won it back through a legal dispute and an exclusive match to their liking. Since then, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, his Cup architect Russell Coutts and Oracle Team USA have held on to it. After the comeback of the century in 2013, when the Americans turned a 1:8 deficit into a 9:8 triumph against the initially dominant Kiwis, will they be able to do so again in June in Bermuda?

A historical review that concludes with a look at today's catamarans and an important conclusion: The recent process of change in the boats in the America's Cup seems dramatic because the comparison between the older boats and the "flying catamarans" is so striking. However, according to historian John Rousmanière, the change is the history of the America's Cup and the current boats are just another chapter

Since 1851, countless billions of dollars have been poured into the America's Cup, which has changed more radically in the past decade than ever before in its history. The monohull noble yachts are a thing of the past. Today, ultra-modern and foiling catamaran projectiles with a Batmobile look fly over the water. Small elite units of highly trained athletes are constantly pushing them to the limit over the short courses in short 20-minute duels. The cleverest designers, developers and best boat builders have conceived and built them. Top speeds of up to 50 knots should be possible in this 34th edition of the Cup.

But the danger is always travelling with them. Previously hardly ever a cause for discussion in the America's Cup, the safety of athletes has been a constant topic since the introduction of the speeding catamaran projectiles. Since the tragic accidental death of Andrew "Bart" Simpson on 9 May 2013 following a training capsize involving his team Artemis Racing, safety standards have been extremely high: the athletes carry helmets, knives and emergency breathing apparatus. And they always carry out safety training sessions. But the consequences of capsizing or collisions cannot be controlled with certainty.

This video shows the foal's leaps in development with the most important Cup stages since 2013 - it's amazing how quickly the teams have improved their skills and what is now possible

Several recent incidents have shown just how dangerous this new cup sport has become. The images were scary when Graeme Spence was catapulted into the water at the beginning of the year during training as a result of a tack on foils and an abrupt slowdown of the catamaran, not sideways but over the bow tips and then narrowly escaped the razor-sharp foils and rudders with which the American catamaran thundered over him under water. Teams, fans, partners and organisers are all in absolute agreement on one thing ahead of the showdown on 26 May: may any accidents for the athletes have a mild outcome.

The big Cup guide: In the America's Cup special in YACHT 12/2017 you will find all the information and background to the sailing event of the year. From 24 May at the kiosk or digital here.

This year's accident shows just how dangerous sailing the Cup catamarans can be. Graeme Spence from Oracle Team USA was very lucky after he unfortunately went overboard