In 2007 a questionable maneuver by the Swiss billionaire winner of the 32nd America’s Cup race led to a long court battle over the 33rd Cup race and—ultimately—the Defender’s inglorious defeat by a game-changing trimaran. The Defender unwisely attempted to hand pick a Challenger in order to lock in another victory.

A well-known American billionaire/entrepreneur took the Defender to court seeking to establish himself as the Challenger of record. After byzantine twists and turns, the American became the Challenger of record.

His game-changing technology innovation is called a wing sail. At 223 feet tall, it is longer than the wingspan of a 747. It works like an airplane wing to the lift the boat out of the water, giving the boat a top speed of 40 knots. Videos of the race show it flying across the water, leading one observer to lament that the America’s Cup had become a drag race on water.

Entertainment is a major purpose of the race, and the rules changed again. The 34th Cup race in 2013 will feature interchangeable boats, thus eliminating any technology advantage and making the race a true test of sailing skill