As we countdown to the 35th America’s Cup The Royal Gazette will bring you a series of fun facts about the boats, the sailors, the crew, and the history of this illustrious competition. There are now 10 days until the month-long sporting spectacle gets under way.

The America’s Cup dates back to the first race in 1851 but, did you know:

1 Britain have never won the Cup: the US have won it 28 times, New Zealand and Switzerland twice, and Australia once.

2 The winner of the America’s Cup race has the right to decide the rules for the next contest, including the types of boats to be used, the location of the racecourse and when the race will take place.

3 Sir Russell Coutts has won the America’s Cup five times, including three times as skipper, where he has a perfect 14-0 record on the water (1995, 2000, 2003).

4 The entry fee for the America’s Cup in Bermuda is $2 million per team.

5 Sir Ben Ainslie’s favourite food is beef wellington.

6 In 1997 in New Zealand, a Maori activist damaged the America’s Cup trophy after hitting it with a sledgehammer.

7 Glenn Ashby is just the third Team New Zealand skipper in 20 years. He follows in the footsteps of Russell Coutts and Dean Barker.

8 Sir Thomas Lipton challenged for the trophy five times between 1899 and 1930. His British team never won.

9 Nathan Outteridge, the Artemis Racing skipper, is superstitious and will not get his hair cut during events.

10 The schooner, America, which won the first race in 1851 was scrapped and burnt in 1945.