Challenger Selection Series which would officially be named The Prada Cup. This replaced the Louis Vuitton Cup that had been used as the Challenger Selection Series between 1983 and 2017. The class rule for the AC75, the foiling monohulls that would be used for the event, was published on 29 March 2018. The three person Arbitration Panel was appointed on 10 May 2018. The chairperson was David Tillett (AUS) who was joined by Henry Peter (SUI) and Graham McKenzie (NZL). All three are respected lawyers who have experience working with previous America's Cup adjudication bodies. In August 2018, an "America's Cup Overture" was held in Cowes, England, 167 years after the original America's Cup race occurred at the same location. At the event, Auckland was confirmed as the venue for the cup match and challenger series with the event dates and courses also announced. Scheduling The event was originally scheduled to start on 6 March 2021, but was delayed until 10 March due to a COVID-19 lockdown in Auckland. Iain Murray was the race director. Entries for challengers opened on 1 January 2018 and closed on 30 June 2018 with late entries accepted until 30 November 2018. Heats for challengers and the defender, known as World Series, were held in 2020 in the brand new AC75 class. Challenger selection series was held in January and February 2021 with the America's Cup match against the defender in March. Prior to Emirates Team New Zealand winning the 35th America's Cup in 2017, Oracle (the defender at the time) and four of the five challengers had signed a framework that would have seen the 36th America's Cup in 2019 and the 37th in 2021, with the existing 35th Cup class boats, the AC50s, and a pre-selection America's Cup World Series tournament with the same boats. Team New Zealand, the eventual champion, had opted to not sign the framework agreement, and were not bound by its terms, freeing them to set their defence for 2021 with a brand new format and class. Challengers Circolo della Vela Sicilia was the "Challenger of Record" for the 36th America's Cup. Their team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, currently led by Max Sirena, had previously lost to Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2000 America's Cup, the 2007, and the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup finals. On 13 March 2018, Jimmy Spithill announced he was returning to the team, after