America's Cup: Impasse over 2027 Cup close to resolution?
by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 8 Aug 19:39 PDT
Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup - Naples Presentation event, Castel dell'Ovo - May 28, 2025 © Ian Roman / America's Cup
The impasse over the Protocol for the 38th America's Cup is expected to be resolved next week.
Earlier, on Friday, America's Cup veteran Tom Ehman, based in San Francisco, revealed on his twice weekly "Sailing Illustrated" online sailing show that the two key players involved with the Challenger of Record, would be flying to New Zealand for a meeting next week with their counterparts from the Defender, the Royal New Zealand yacht Squadron.
Ehman says that soon to be Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Bertie Bickett will be flying with Ben Ainslie, CEO of Athena Racing the team that will represent the Royal Yacht Squadron in the multi-challenger event.
It was Bickett who signed the original Letter of Challenge handed to the then Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Commodore Gillian Williams, as the two clubs' AC75s crossed the finish line in Barcelona on October 19, 2024.
Ehman's information appears to be confirmed by Leslie Ryan, Event Director for the 38th America's Cup, in an interview given to Naples-based newspaper Il Mattino.
"No worries about a Protocol that still has to be enacted and with it the number of participating teams", says an interview story in Il Mattino.
"This is the America's Cup and nothing is ever as it seems. Soon there will be a protocol and registrations will be open," Ryan is quoted as saying.
It is believed that an earlier meeting between the potential challenging teams and the Defender, held in London in mid July, broke up without agreement. Prior to that it is well known that a letter was sent by the Defender to the Challenger of Record pointing out the RYS' obligations under the Challenge they made in Barcelona. The RYS seem to have decided to settle the outstanding issues, and sign a Protocol which covers the rules under which the 38th Match will be conducted.
Athena Racing is believed to have found some financial backing for their Challenge, with more needed, and will be in a different position than they were in for the 2021 and 2024 America's Cups with a sole sponsor INEOS Group, owned by petrochemical mogul Sir Jim Ratcliffe and friends. That relationship split acrimoniously in April 2025, leaving Athena Racing up the financial creek without a paddle.
Much of the focus over the past ten months, since the 37th Match in Barcelona, has gone on the machinations betwwen the Challenger of Record, Defender and various Challengers from the 2024 Cup. The Challengers were split into two camps with the Italian and French teams being supportive of the Defender's position, while the USA and Swiss teams backed the Challenger of Record's stance against the verious versions of the draft Protocol in circulation.
However despite the upset, according to Ryan, the preparations for hosting Naples have proceeded. In earlier stories in Il Mattino, it is reported that the various regional government bodies have been arguing over the composition of a management committee for the event with the points of contention being centred around the number and mix of regions involved, along with the numbers of representatives from the Event organisers. "We expect the Region to finance what is needed,' says the regional secretary of Forza Italia Fulvio Martusciello. 'If the New Zealanders were to learn about the proposed amendments, they might even reconsider the choice of Naples,' says a second report in Il Mattino in late July.
Notwithtanding the salvos being fired over the last few months, the Event Organisers have adopted a damn the torpedos philosophy with Ryan saying they have a five person team working on the event organisation.
"The America's Cup team currently working at varying paces in Naples consists of five people: Mack Dalton, a New Zealander from Auckland responsible for sponsorships, Leslie Ryan, an Irish event director; Louis Sainz, a Spaniard handling the legislative aspect; Mark Sheffield, a Briton, for television broadcasting and graphics; Hamish Hooper for videos and social media. Eventually, there will be over 250 people. Headquarters are in Vomero, in a house on Via Kerbaker" says Il Mattino.
Ashore the re-developments projects are beginning - comprising excavation of polluting materials from the former Italsider blast furnace, closed in the early 1990's.
Then the dredging will start to deepen the harbour to the depth of 6.5metres, which includes the clearing of unexploded ordinances from WWII, ahead of the construction of docks and creation of base areas ready to be taken over by the teams in early April 2026. The ordinance neutering program will cost €800,000 in redevelopment project expected to cost €187million.
The first Preliminary Regatta for the 2027 America's Cup, will take place in May 2026, followed by a second regatta in June/July 2026.
The America's Cup is expected to be staged in the Spring and Summer of 2027.