FACTBOX-Sailing-2021 America's Cup teams

He was in charge of the mast wing project with Oracle Racing when they won the title in 2010 and joined TNZ before the 2017 edition. Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill (helmsmen) - Italian Bruni is a decorated world champion in different classes and a three-times Olympian who is preparing for his fourth America's Cup campaign with Luna Rossa.

Factbox on Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa, who will meet in a series of races at Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, starting on Wednesday, for the America's Cup: TEAM NEW ZEALAND (TNZ)

AMERICA'S CUP TITLES: 3 (1995, 2000, 2017) YACHT CLUB: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Established in 1993, TNZ produced a major upset two years later by beating Stars & Stripes team 5-0 in San Diego. It was only the second time the "Auld Mug" was taken away from the Americans in 144 years. They defended the trophy in Auckland in 2000, completing a 5-0 sweep of Italian rivals Prada.

In 2017, TNZ sealed a 7-1 victory over Oracle Team USA in Bermuda, avenging their defeat from the 2013 series. KEY PERSONNEL

Peter Burling (helmsman) - Olympic 49er champion became the youngest helmsman to win sailing's biggest prize in 2017 at the age of 26, replacing Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill, who won the Cup in 2010 aged 30. Glenn Ashby (trimmer) - The Beijing Olympics silver medallist is a 17-times multi-hull world champion with America's Cup success, having helped Oracle to the 2010 crown and TNZ triumph in 2017.

The 43-year-old Australian heads into his fourth America's Cup campaign with a wealth of experience and will play a key part in controlling the speed of "Te Rehutai." CREW

Blair Tuke (flight controller), Andy Maloney and Josh Junior (offside control), Louis Sinclair, Carlo Huisman, Marius Van Der Pol, Mike Lee, Steven Ferguson, Joe Sullivan, Marcus Hansen, Simon Van Velthooven, Finn Henry, Guy Endean (grinders). LUNA ROSSA

AMERICA'S CUP TITLES: None YACHT CLUB: Circolo della Vela Sicilia (since 2007). Previously Yacht Club Italiano (2003–2007) and Yacht Club Punta Ala (1997–2003)

Formed in 1997, the team won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 - competing as Prada Challenge - but were beaten by holders TNZ in the America's Cup that year. Challenger of Record Luna Rossa earned the right to meet TNZ for the America's Cup this year by winning the Challenger Series final where they stunned round-robin winners INEOS Team UK 7-1.

KEY PERSONNEL Max Sirena (team director/skipper) - The veteran Italian heads into his seventh America's Cup challenge. He was in charge of the mast wing project with Oracle Racing when they won the title in 2010 and joined TNZ before the 2017 edition.

Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill (helmsmen) - Italian Bruni is a decorated world champion in different classes and a three-times Olympian who is preparing for his fourth America's Cup campaign with Luna Rossa. He will share helm duties with the experienced Spithill, who skippered Oracle to America's Cup wins in 2010 and 2013.

CREW Vasco Vascotto (tactician), Pietro Sibello and Andrea Tesei (mainsheet trimmers), Shannon Falcone, Umberto Molineris and Enrico Voltolini (trimmer and grinders), Romano Battisti, Matteo Celon, Nicholas Brezzi and Emanuelle Liuzzi (grinders) (Compiled by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford )

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