The challengers and the organisers of the 32nd America's Cup have agreed on a scoring system to determine Alinghi's opponent. This means that the remaining ten so-called acts in the run-up to the Louis Vuitton Cup will have real significance.
The winner of the overall ranking from the acts receives four bonus points. Second, third and fourth place are worth three points each, fifth, sixth and seventh place are worth two points, and eighth to eleventh place are worth one point each.
The acts are given a factor. Those from 2005 are counted once, those from 2006 twice and the final Fleet Race 2007 three times.
The teams start the actual Louis Vuitton Cup with these bonus points. This is organised as a double round-robin series with each team playing against each other (as in the German football league). At the end, the four semi-finalists are determined.
As each victory in the round robin round (20 races for each of the eleven teams) is worth two points, the four points for the winner of the Act series are worth as much as two victories. This gives the pre-series significantly more weight than had previously been expected.
Nobody can afford to take the pre-regattas lightly. After all, the ranking list after the acts will also be used to break any ties in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
This means that if two teams end up with the same number of points, the team that came out on top in the act series is placed in the better position. Normally, the direct comparison in the round robin series decides in such a case.
However, if there is a tie for the semi-final places, this rule should not apply. If two teams with the same number of points are competing for the last semi-final place, a play-off will be held.
However, as soon as there is a tie with three teams, the boat ranked higher after the acts is given a bye in the play-off. It sails against the winner of the duel between the lower-placed boats for a place in the semi-finals.
There are numerous scenarios that are not entirely improbable, in which the results from the pre-regattas play a decisive role.
This is good news for Cup fans. Because the acts will be significantly upgraded by this points system. Especially as it was also decided that the results from 2004, when not all syndicates were at the start, have no significance.
From the first Act 2005 in Valencia, all challengers will be at the start. And also the defender Alinghi. For the Swiss team, however, it is still only about the Golden Coconut. Its results will be removed from the series that counts towards the Louis Vuitton Cup for the others.
However, there is a parallel classification, according to which the Louis Vuitton ACC champion is crowned each year. Alinghi is also involved in this series.
In the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the number one team in the double round robin gets to choose their opponent from the remaining three teams. The second semi-final is sailed by the remaining opponents. The winner of the duel is whoever wins five races first. This will also be the case in the final. The winner will then compete in the Americas Cup against the defence team Alinghi.
Conclusion: The approval of the so-called Valencia Plan is an enormous upgrade for the entire Americas Cup. Fun becomes serious. It was a balancing act. On the one hand, the acts could not be rated too highly in order to give the new teams in particular a chance. On the other hand, there had to be a clear reward at the end so that the acts did not degenerate into mere show fights. The excitement would have been missing. The purpose of the acts would not have been communicable, the media would not have reported on them and the sponsors would not have got their money's worth.
That is why the smaller teams, including the German team, can be satisfied with the regulation. Because it allows them to race at a high level. At the last Louis Vuitton Cup, for example, Mascalzone Latino was only allowed to sail 16 races and then went home. This time, the remaining ten acts guarantee significantly more performances for everyone.
This development is not bad for the Alinghi defence team either. For the first time in the history of the Cup, the defender will be able to measure itself against the challengers before the final duel. And as the acts have now become more important, Alinghi can also assume that its opponents will have to reveal their cards sooner.
All those involved still have the will to make the Americas Cup more attractive. This is only possible by giving the sponsors more opportunities to present themselves. And this has been achieved with the introduction and weighting of the acts.
There are already voices calling for the Cup to be organised every two years. In the end, it could become a permanent racing series.
