Redesigned America's Cup: Introducing female sailors, battery-powered boats, multi-ship races, and additional changes. Possible optimism for British teams as well.
The America's Cup, one of the most prestigious sailing competitions in the world, is set for a major overhaul as the Protocol for the upcoming event has been agreed and signed. Grant Dalton, the Challenger of Record, expects five to six teams for the next cycle, with the event still due to be held in Naples, Italy, in 2027.
The new Protocol brings significant changes, particularly in crew composition, nationality, commercial structure, and venue selection.
Crew and Nationality
Each team must sail with a five-member crew, including at least one female sailor. At least two crew members, plus the female sailor, must be nationals of the team’s country. This move ensures significant national representation and mandates female representation in the crew.
Non-Compete Agreement
A significant change is the removal of the non-compete clause, which previously banned sailors from competing in one team and then switching to another. This change allows high-profile sailors to helm for different teams, providing a more dynamic and open competition.
Commercial Structure
A new partnership agreement, called the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP), has been established. This collective governance model gives all teams equal authority in decision-making, managing event organization, media, and commercial rights. The ACP replaces the Defender-dominated structure, promoting shared stewardship and long-term planning.
The ACP also introduces a cost cap of €75 million per team for this edition, with strict auditing and penalties for exceeding the cap.
Venue
The Defender no longer has the implicit right to select the venue for future events. Venue selection will be evaluated based on commercial viability and made collectively by the participating teams through the ACP.
Additional Points
Existing teams will continue to use AC75 class hulls from the 37th America’s Cup, while new teams have the option to use existing hulls or build new ones to AC37 design specifications.
These changes represent a significant modernization step for the America’s Cup, emphasizing gender diversity, financial sustainability, equitable governance, and commercially driven venue selection.
Entry for the 38th America's Cup opens soon, with a €7 million entry fee. With the British America’s Cup team, Athena Racing, signing the Protocol as Challenger of Record, it's a promising sign for their participation. Ben Ainslie, the leader of Athena Racing, has hinted at a potential title sponsorship deal for their AC75 boat.
The America's Cup event will also see radical changes, including the use of batteries to replace cyclors in the AC75 boats. The new agreement aims to give the event a firmer timetable with a two-year cycle, making it more accessible for teams, commercial partners, and event venues to invest for multiple editions.
The America's Cup is undoubtedly on the path to a more inclusive, sustainable, and commercially viable future.
With the new Protocol, the America's Cup will see an overhaul in the crew composition and nationality rules, requiring each team to have a five-member crew, including at least one female sailor, with at least two crew members and the female sailor being nationals of the team’s country. The removal of the non-compete clause also signifies a change, allowing high-profile sailors to compete for different teams, promoting a more dynamic competition.
