America's Cup format

AUCKLAND (Reuters) -- Swiss syndicate Alinghi will challenge holders Team New Zealand in the 31st America's Cup beginning on Saturday.

Alinghi beat U.S. team Oracle BMW Racing 5-1 min the challengers' final last month to reach the America's Cup.

Team New Zealand beat Young America 5-0 in 1995 to win the America's Cup. They thrashed Italians Prada 5-0 in 2000 to become the first non-U.S. team to successfully defend the Cup.

The America's Cup is a best-of-nine race match:

    Race 1 - Saturday February 15
    Race 2 - Sunday February 16
    Race 3 - Tuesday February 18
    Race 4 - Thursday February 20
    Race 5 - Saturday February 22
    Race 6 - Sunday February 23
    Race 7 - Tuesday February 25
    Race 8 - Thursday February 27
    Race 9 - Saturday March 1

Each race is worth one point and the first team to reach five points will be declared the winners.

Race course:

Racing for the America's Cup will be held on one of four courses in the Hauraki Gulf. Each course is about 10 miles from the syndicate bases at the Viaduct Harbour in downtown Auckland.

The course will be an 18.5-nautical-mile, windward-leeward configuration comprising three upwind and three downwind legs of about three miles.

The yachts will start upwind and finish downwind, with starboard mark roundings.

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