Australia is returning to the America’s Cup for the first time in more than 25 years.
Sydney’s Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club on Thursday confirmed that its challenge with Team Australia for the 38th America’s Cup, to be held next year in Naples, Italy, had been accepted. It is among a number of challengers, including one from the United States.
Team Australia also confirmed that Olympic gold medalist Tom Slingsby, who races for an Australian team in SailGP series, will join the syndicate as head of sailing. Three-time America’s Cup winner Glenn Ashby is the team’s head of performance and design.
“The opportunity to represent Australia in the America’s Cup with an Australian team is something that genuinely means a lot to me,” Slingsby said. “It’s been a dream throughout my career to be part of bringing Australia back to the Cup in a meaningful way.”
Grant Simmer, a member of the winning Australia II campaign in 1983 that ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak in the America’s Cup, has been appointed as chief executive officer of Team Australia.
“For me, this campaign is both deeply personal and incredibly exciting,” Simmer said in a statement. “I first became involved in the America’s Cup in the early 1980s and was fortunate to be part of the . . . team that changed the course of the Cup forever.”
The last official Australian challenger was the Young Australia syndicate in the 2000 America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Australian sailors and designers have featured in the winning teams of the United States, Switzerland and New Zealand since, but there has been no team flying under the Australian flag.
New Zealand’s three-peat
Team New Zealand won the 37th America’s Cup in October 2024, defeating INEOS Britannia 7-2 in Barcelona, Spain. Representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the Kiwis secured their third consecutive victory.
Team New Zealand will face the winner of the challenger series in a best-of-13 match final starting in July 2027.
New rules
Next year’s America’s Cup in Naples will be held under new rules for the AC75 yachts, requiring at least one female sailor to be included in each race crew.
Tash Bryant, one of the world’s top female sailors, said the changes represent “an important moment for the future of the sport.”
“The evolution of the boats and the competition is opening the door to broader opportunities and visibility for women in elite sailing, while also creating clearer pathways for younger generations coming through the sport,” the Australian said.
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