Crew:  After initial trouble with financial backing, Team New Zealand announced their intention to challenge in late June 2014. The team chose to replace longtime helmsman Dean Barker with 2013 Youth America's Cup winner and Olympic silver medalist Peter Burling. The team's AC50 boat includes a number of unique innovations, including replacing the grinders used by most teams with pedals. Crew:  In 2014, Franck Cammas' Groupama Sailing Team announced a challenge for the cup. The team had previously won the 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race as well as the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Little America's Cup. Crew:   After winning the 34th America's Cup as tactician for Oracle Team USA, British Sailor and four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Ben Ainslie announced his own team, Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR), would be challenging for 35th Cup. In June 2015, the team partnered with Land Rover changed their name to Land Rover BAR. Land Rover BAR won the AC45 World Series, and thus started the round robins with a two-point advantage. Crew:   SoftBank Team Japan was the last team to file a challenge, in late April 2015. The challenge was spearheaded by America's Cup veteran Kazuhiko Sofuku. Former Team New Zealand helmsman Dean Barker joined the team as skipper and CEO in May, and British Olympic medalist and former Luna Rossa helmsman Chris Draper joined in June as tactician and Sailing Director. Due to the team's late entry, Oracle Team USA provided a design package for the team in order to kick-start their challenge. The five challengers and the defender, Oracle Team USA, competed in two round robins between 26 May and 3 June 2017. Points were awarded for every win. The lowest ranking competitor was eliminated and the highest ranking competitor will be awarded a point at the start of the America's Cup match if it reaches that stage of the competition. In the event of a tie for lowest or highest ranking, "the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series standings" was to be "used as the tie breaker". The highest ranking challenger was able to pick its opponent in the semi-finals. The scores were:  Emirates Team New Zealand and defender Oracle Team USA were dominant in the round robins, with 8 wins each. New Zealand did not lose to a single challenger, both of their losses coming against Oracle. Artemis Racing and Land Rover BAR had shaky starts to the series (aided in part by a controversial penalty assessed against Artemis), but both came back strong in the second round robin.