America's Cup World Series 2020: how to see the world famous sailing event in Portsmouth

The city will host the second of three Emirates sponsored ACWS events, with the first one taking place in Cagliari, Sardinia, from 23 – 26 April.

Portsmouth’s leg takes place from 4 – 7 June, before the concluding race in Auckland as part of the Christmas Race from 17 – 20 December.

Portsmouth previously hosted the event in 2015 and 2016, which saw 250,000 spectators pack the waterfront to witness the exciting drama.

Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: “It’s really good news for the city that the event is coming here once again.

“We’ve worked very hard to make it happen and with Sir Ben Ainslie favourite to bring home the trophy for the first time in more than 100 years it would be brilliant for Portsmouth to be part of that and for the city to benefit.”

Ainslie will lead the charge for Portsmouth-based Ineos Team UK as world-class sailors will race their first generation high-tech AC75 yachts for the first time.

The British Olympic is the favourite to land sport’s oldest trophy and bring it home for the first time in more than 100 years, and the preliminary regatta will offer an exciting insight into the battle between the teams as they gear-up for the main event.

What to look out for in this year’s event

The teams will face each other during four days of racing delivering high-performance action close to shore and putting fans at the heart of the competition.

Ainslie said: “We are really looking forward to competing in front of our home crowd again.

“It’s so great that Portsmouth has been chosen as only one of two locations outside of New Zealand where people can watch the AC75 foiling monohulls in action. We are confident the racing will deliver a true spectacle.”

As mentioned, world-class sailors will be racing their state-of-the-art, first generation high-tech AC75 yachts for the first time in this year’s events.

The AC75 combines extremely high-performance sailing with the safety of a boat that can right itself in the event of a capsize.

Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton admitted he was looking forward to getting back on Solent shores again.

“Portsmouth was a fanatically supportive city for the ACWS in 2015 and 2016, so we are looking forward to getting back there," he said.

“The difference this time is the racing will be in the new AC75’s which will be a spectacle like nothing seen before on the Solent.”

Where will the racing take place?

The Solent waters will form the race course, and training will begin there on the 31 of May until the 3 June, prior to the race start.

The course will be positioned close to the shores off Southsea Common, with the Royal Navy and Portsmouth International Port will housing the five international America’s Cup teams using the extensive maritime facilities in Portsmouth.

How do I watch the racing?

Fans will be able to enjoy both a “free to view” and a ticketed race village, at which there will be both jumbo viewing screens and live commentators.

The teams will line up in front of the Race Village before racing starts, and athletes will come ashore for the ‘Dock out show’ to meet and greet fans and visitors.

The race village will also house the very best in local fayre, showcasing local food and goods produce as well as bars and drinks venue to suit all tastes.

How do I get tickets?

Further details around tickets, race village timings and new attractions will be announced early in 2020.