America's Cup: Challengers reduce as Entry deadline counts down
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 29 Oct 05:14 PDT
American Magic - Louis Vuitton Semi-Finals - Day 5 - September 19, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America's Cup
The decision by American Magic to not enter the America's Cup would seem to put the likely entries at the lower end of the 4-7 team range quoted by in an international media session held on October 15.
"I think it's going to be any anywhere between four to seven teams, is the reality," Athena Racing's CEO Ben Ainslie predicted. "Including the Defender," added Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO.
The initial entry close date is not until Friday, October 31. Late entries close three months later, without a significant penalty.
As part of the submission of their Notice of Challenge, to enter the America's Cup, all teams must sign off a Terms Sheet agreeing to the key points of the America's Cup Partnership agreement. The document creates an NFL type organisation to run future America's Cups. Ainslie described the arrangement as being "critical to the longevity of the Cup and for the teams."
The US team's exit is understood to have been announced to the team and the club less than 24 hours before the official announcement was made.
Doug DeVos, Team Principal of American Magic summed up the reasoning behind today's time-out decision from US team: "After extensive engagement with the Defender, Challenger of Record, and fellow teams, we've concluded that the present structure does not provide the framework for American Magic to operate a highly competitive and financially sustainable campaign for the 38th America's Cup."
Alinghi out?
The Swiss team, and twice America's Cup champion, Alinghi is also not expected to enter for similar reasons as American Magic.
They, like all 2027 Cup competitors, are restricted by the Cup rules to using their 2024-vintage hulls without external modifications.
Additionally, Alinghi would have been required to use a hull which was substantially damaged and almost sank just days after they were eliminated from the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup.
All teams have to use their legacy racing masts that were "launched" (ie used) at some stage of the 2024 Cup, including test sailing. Alinghi broke two masts within just 20 minutes of sailing time.
Under the new 2027 rules, Alinghi could only repair or replace with a "legacy replica," i.e., to the exact specifications (or "blueprint") of the broken original, but with a few modifications specified for all teams in the latest AC75 class rule.
American Magic and Alinghi Red Bull Racing were the fourth and fifth-place teams in the 2024 America's Cup.
Usually, a team in that position would have been able to regroup, learn from their experience, get a new design team together, and start afresh with a new boat, which would be in the same corner of the rule as the others. American Magic did just that after their disastrous capsize and submergence in the 2021 America's Cup.
Former Cup Champions Alinghi were a new team for the 2024 America's Cup, but suspended operations and laid off staff after the Barcelona event. It is hard to see the Swiss gearing up again in the circumstances.
However, Alinghi were instrumental in getting the relaxation of the "Burling Rule" which, in the draft version of the Protocol for the next Cup, barred defecting 2024 team members from sailing for another country in 2027.
The combination of budget caps and the requirement to use existing hulls and spars (that were "launched" for the 2024 AC) was likely a show-stopper.
In short, American Magic probably didn't have the appetite to mount a new America's Cup campaign in those circumstances, given a US$ 87.25 million spending cap.
While Alinghi have not declared its intentions, it would be a surprise if it weren't in lock-step with the Americans.
Orient Express morphs back into K-Challenge
That leaves the French, who are now stripped of their Orient Express Team branding and reverting to their original start-up title, K-Challenge. The team does have a state-of-the-art AC75 (an Emirates Team NZ design) and has some working space within the AC75 Component Limits.
The French, along with Italian Luna Rossa, raised the America's Cup Partnership battle flags soon after the rebel Challengers' proclamations in May 2025.
They are competing very successfully in SailGP, lying fifth out of 12 teams despite missing the first two events in Season 5 due to new boat issues.
They have a good racing crew with new blood and strong team management, used to working successfully at a top level on a smaller budget, in a sponsored team sandpit.
Enzo Balanger, whom the team has nurtured, recently won the foiling Moth Worlds in Lake Garda, heading off 137 sailors from 25 countries on the waters of Lake Garda, including Olympic champions, America's Cup helmsmen, and top SailGP competitors.
Emirates Team New Zealand's latest acquisition, Jake Pye, finished third in the same regatta.
Italy's Luna Rossa is reported in the Italian media to have been selected as a Challenger for the 2027 America's Cup, which will be staged in Naples.
A second Italian team is expected to challenge for the America's Cup, bringing the number of challengers to four and the total teams to five.
Hot property
American Magic's exit leaves two top sailors without rides for the 2027 America's Cup, and neither will be flicking to the right on the AC Tinder app to find a new team for too long.
Helmsman and skipper Paul Goodison, the 2008 Olympic Gold medalist in the then Men's Laser, would appear to be available, and would be a great acquisition for the British team to step into Ben Ainslie's shoes as co-helmsman, or on the sailing crew boat.
Tom Slingsby, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist in the Men's Laser, 2013 America's Cup winner, and multiple SailGP champion, will be an outstanding acquisition for any team. All teams can take a second non-national into their sailing teams, and the prospect of having Slingers in a co-helmsman's seat will be hard to pass up for most team recruiters and devastating for their opponents.
Entries close for the 2027 America's Cup on Friday (NZT). It is not expected that the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will make any announcements regarding the number of Challenges received or the specific teams. Instead, it will be up to the individual teams to make the announcement, accompanied by their own PR hoopla.
The following day, the America's Cup Partnership takes over the running of the 38th America's Cup and associated regattas, succeeding Emirates Team New Zealand's event arm, America's Cup Events Ltd, which ran the 2021 and 2024 America's Cups. A new CEO of ACP will be announced, taking over from Grant Dalton, who has held the role for the last two Cups.
From November 1, the America's Cup events will be managed by the America's Cup Partnership Board, comprising one member from each team.
The ACP Board will make all decisions regarding the 2027 America's Cup, subject to the restrictions of the Deed of Gift, the 19th-century document that governs the conduct and transfer of the America's Cup Match and trophy.
Meanwhile, Emirates Team New Zealand were out sailing again today in their AC40, in a stiff southwesterly gusting to 30kts. They did a two-hour session off Auckland's Eastern Beach, the familiar area known as the Back Paddock.