America's Cup: French back "Kiwi" Protocol. Dates and boat for next Cup revealed
by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 6 Jul 04:12 PDT
Stephan Kandler, - Orient Express Racing Team © Ian Roman
Last weekend's missive from the French America's Cup challenge team is further evidence over the building frustration with progress towards the 2027 America's Cup in Naples.
The French team's message echoed many of the key point raised in the "Final Draft" Protocol released publicly by Emirates Team New Zealand in response to earlier calls for more transparency by teams from Switzerland, USA, and the Brits themselves.
After listing most of the key and rather uncontroverisal points from the "Final Draft" Protocol, the final statement frpm the French made it clear as to their position: "We are enthusiastic about these inclusions in the Protocol and therefore encourage the Challenger of Record in signing this Protocol so that all teams can prepare for the 38th America's Cup and, together, make it a 'not-to-be-missed' international sporting event focused on the future."
It is understood that further drafts and discussion between the various teams have been circulated subsequent to the "Final Draft" document. The parties maintain that progress is being made, however it would seem that is occurring at a snail's pace, and the three parties who are keen to start racing and testing, are well aware that time is running out fast.
In the "Final Draft" several dates were mentioned for the start of sailing by teams in AC40 programs - presumably for two boat testing. The date set for that was July 1, 2025.
That has come and gone.
Sail-World understands that with no signed Protocol in place, the dates are meaningless and the game is frozen, other than sailing AC40s in One Design mode. That's hardly enough to justify sending out a Reconnaissance team, and in the overall scheme of the 38th Cup, sailing One Design AC40s is a meaningless gesture.
Back in January at SailGP in Auckland the French team were marking time waiting for the arrival of their new F50, and weren't too keen to talk about the America's Cup.
Asked if the French were going to run their SailGP program in conjunction with the America's Cup effort, team co-founder and manager, Bruno Dubois was emphatic.
"No we're concentrating on SailGP. We're here to talk about SailGP - America's Cup, we don't know what it is!"
Pushed further on whether he had discussions with Emirates Team NZ CEO, Grant Dalton - given that the America's Cup team was adjacent to the SailGP base.
"No", Dubois laughed. "We're here for SailGP and focusing on the new boat and getting ready for the season."
However now it seems the French have changed their tune.
The objective of the combined SailGP and America's Cup program is to change that story.
"Exactly," says skipper Quentin Delapierre, "especially with SailGP and the Cup. Because Bruno and Stephane Kandler [co-CEO of Orient Express Racing Team] are the same owner, they can put a real plan together with the French Federation to make sure that best athletes will have access to the Cup, and SailGP."
Bruno Dubois chips in "we have an example with Enzo Balanger, who was our skipper in the Youth America's Cup team. He just did the Moth World here (Jan 2025 at Manly SC). He finished sixth which is an inspiration for the team here. That's our objective, to take guys like that and give them the experience for the future."
Clearly with their media release calling for sign-off on the America's Cup Protocol, the French realise that the clock is ticking down, particularly when they have a young team in a development phase.
Balanger is set to compete in the 2025 Moth Worlds in Lake Garda, later this week. However even with a successful SailGP program running, there is plenty of work to be done for a 2027 America's Cup. The French, as the newest team have all the assets needed to progress a Cup campaign, but are in the frustrating position, of not knowing sailing and racing dates, or even how many sailors will be permitted in the crew.
Brits reveal the dates and boat
On October 19, 2024 the 2024 America's Cup was decided in Barcelona. The Royal Yacht Squadron was given a pre-arranged position to enable the RYS to be first in with a Letter of Challenge, and became the Challenger of Record for the 38th Match.
In an interview with PlanetSail's Matt Sheahan, Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd's Chairman Bertie Bickett the day after the Cup, on October 20, Bickett said the Letter of Challenge contained the dates of the Match - as the Challenger is required to do under the Deed of Gift for the America's Cup.
Questioned as to when the next Cup would be, Bickett pointed out [8m 53secs] that they'd only made the Challenge less than 24hrs previously, but that the dates were "more than 10 months from now, but still within 2025".
He also said that the boat would be the AC75.
It was expected that, as with previous Cups Protocol negotiations would start shortly after the Challenge was accepted - a process that usually takes eight months.
As we now know, Jim Ratcliffe took his INEOS group sponsorship of the RYS' team in January 2025, and quit the America's Cup for reasons that have not been officially explained. However at the time the Challenging Club was the Royal Yacht Squadron, the program was run, as it was in 2021 and 2024 as INEOS Britannia, and the team involved was again Athena Racing - formerly BAR Racing, operated by skipper Ben Ainslie.
The situation now is that with INEOS off the scene, RYS has remained with Athena Racing as its team - however both the club and team are yet to announce the financial backing for a competitive challenger, and other elements such as design team etc. It is understood that INEOS have retained ownership of the AC75 that performed well 2024, and without that boat the British cannot meet their obligations to compete in a Match before the end of the year. Buying an existing AC75 is not an option for the British, as they along with the Kiwis can only sail boats that comply with the Deed of Gift provisions requiring the yachts to be constructed in the country of the club of the Defender or Challenger.
Construction and commissioning of an AC75 takes 10 months, plus design time.
Were the Brits held to their undertakings in the Letter of Challenge, dated October 19, 2024, then according to Bickett the boat is the AC75, and the Match will be held before December 31, 2025. For its part, Defender Royal NZ Yacht Squadron/ETNZ have two complying AC75s (both now in Auckland), and the Defender has the right to name the venue. The dates nominated by Bickett comply with the Hemisphere restrictions of the Deed of Gift, and any Deed of Gift Match would have to be sailed in Auckland.
The exit route out of this imbroglio is for the Royal Yacht Squadron, is to sign the Protocol as urged by the K-Challenge.
The French statement in the name of K-Challenge concluded with a call to action by the Challenger of Record.
"We are enthusiastic about these inclusions in the Protocol and therefore encourage the Challenger of Record in signing this Protocol so that all teams can prepare for the 38th America's Cup and, together, make it a 'not-to-be-missed' international sporting event focused on the future."
The silence from Royal Yacht Squadron has been deafening.
Over a month ago, their racing team Athena Racing issued a written statement saying: "Athena Racing is committed to finding a resolution and mutual consent on behalf of all Challengers for the 38th America's Cup. We will respond imminently with a protocol and partnership framework to the Defender which we hope will allow for a successful event for all stakeholders in 2027 and beyond."
Over a month has passed, and from the recent statement by the French team, it would seem the Protocol discussions are at a stalemate.