The Deed of Gift is the document that provides the framework for the America's Cup. It is a mercifully short piece of work that contains one of the worst sentences committed to paper - an 86-word syntax buster that begins with the word "Witnesseth" and includes "hereinafter" among its number.
The relevant passage of the deed is as follows: "This Cup is donated upon the conditions that it shall be preserved as a perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries."
The old challenger format is a relic of an amateur time. Wimbledon abandoned the right of the previous year's winner to advance straight to the final in 1922 and the Ranfurly Shield ceased to be the symbol of New Zealand rugby superiority with the advent of the national provincial championship in 1976.
Nobody, apart from the America's Cup, does it any more because it doesn't make any sense from either a commercial or fair play standpoint.
The advantage of being automatically into the final is crazy enough, and Oracle Team USA made it even worse in 2017 when they joined the challenger series to avoid rustiness for the actual match. Team New Zealand thankfully didn't do that this time around.
But the holder also chooses what kind of boat will be used in the next event, the venue and also other rule changes.
In September 2017, two months after winning the Auld Mug in Bermuda, Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton announced the protocol for the current event.
It was revealed the 36th America's Cup would feature 75 foot monohulls and nationality rules where 20 percent of sailors must be from one country. The rest of sailing team must meet strict criteria of residents of 380 days in country from 1 Sep 2018 to 1st Sep 2020.
It's understood Team New Zealand are keen to continue with the monohull design but where they will race is up in the air.
The Deed of Gift has been challenged in the past. New Zealand's Sir Michael Fay used the rulebook to launch a Deed of Gift Challenge in 1988. Farr designed a really, really big boat, 90-foot big - KZ-1. The San Diego Yacht club rejected the challenge but was forced to race it by the New York Supreme Court. What followed was farce, with Dennis Conner arriving on the start line with a catamaran.
In 2010 the Golden Gate Yacht Club filed its own challenge and asked for Société Nautique de Genève to be disqualified. It led to a Deed of Gift match which Oracle Team USA won over Alinghi to claim the Cup and the all the power to host the next regatta in 2013.
Heading into the Cup racing?
• Give yourself plenty of time and think about catching a ferry, train or bus to watch the cup.
• Make sure your AT Hop card is in your pocket. It's the best way to ride.
• Don't forget to scan QR codes with the NZ Covid tracer app when on public transport and entering the America's Cup village.
• For more ways to enjoy race day, visit at.govt.nz/americascup.
