Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - GO! exec 728x90 TOP

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.

Related Articles

America's Cup: A seismic shift for sailing
For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s This week's announcement from the America's Cup felt momentous. For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s at the pinnacle of our sport. Posted on 15 Aug
America's Cup: The Brave, New Protocol
The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations and a few fish hooks The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations, and maybe a few unintended consequences around the mandatory re-use of 2024 vintage AC75 hulls. Updated with a look at how the new Cup structure could work. Posted on 12 Aug
America's Cup: A "ground breaking" partnership
An innovative Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between RNZYS and RYS An innovative 11th hour Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between the Challenger of Record and the Defender. It creates a commercial framework for the current and future Cups, eases nationality rules, and has a quota for female sailors. Posted on 12 Aug
Cup sailor and commentator dies suddenly
A look at the many achievements and contributions of Peter Lester who died suddenly at 70yrs. It seems like only last month that Peter Lester was being carried shoulder high in his OK Dinghy, up Takapuna Beach, having just won the 1977 World championship, having just won the World championship. . Posted on 9 Aug
America's Cup impasse close to resolution.
The impasse over the Protocol is expected to be resolved next week - meeting in Auckland. The impasse over the Protocol for the 38th America's Cup is expected to be resolved, one way or the other, next week, with a meeting of the parties in Auckland. Posted on 9 Aug
America's Cup: Naples first taste of the Cup
The America's Cup came to Naples in 2012 and 2013 for two of the most memorable regattas. The America's Cup World Series, a multi-city series in the lead up to the 2013 America's Cup regatta in San Francisco, came to Naples in 2012 and 2013 for two of the most memorable regattas. Posted on 7 Aug
America's Cup: Luna Rossa's beginning
Continuing the walk down memory lane with the past America's Cups and Italy's involvement. Continuing the walk down memory lane with the past America's Cups and Italy's involvement as a Challenger, in particular. This one looks at six times challenger, Luna Rossa from the team's beginnings to the 2024 campaign. Posted on 4 Aug
America's Cup: Italy's five boat Challenge
‘Il Moro di Venezia', a five-boat programme left no stone unturned The transition from colourful and applauded challenges of 1983 and 1987, to Challengers for the XXVIII America's Cup in San Diego, was a pivotal moment in the history of Italy in the competition. Posted on 23 Jul
America's Cup: Azzurra Challenge
Azzurra's 1983 debut turned Italian sailing into a national interest. Italy has one of the most passionate and enduring histories in the America's Cup. Azzurra's 1983 debut turned Italian sailing into a national interest. Posted on 15 Jul
America's Cup: Luna Rossa to sail for Naples club.
Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest the next America's Cup as the team of a Naples club. Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest its seventh America's Cup as the team of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia of Naples, as club that is new to the America's Cup. Posted on 10 Jul
Palm Beach Motor YachtsBarton Marine Pipe GlandsMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM