America's Cup: New US Challenger signs first partnership agreement
by Riptide Racing 12 Dec 2025 13:16 NZDT
Current WMRT Points leader Chris Poole, USA/ Riptide Racing © Ian Roman / WMRT
Riptide Racing, the prospective US challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup headed by world No. 1 match racing skipper Chris Poole, has announced a partnership agreement with leading global marine industry shipping and logistics company Pindar by Manuport Logistics.
The agreement follows Riptide Racing’s recent announcement of plans to collaborate with the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club to mount an American challenge for AC38, scheduled to take place in Naples, Italy, in 2027.
The team has set an overall fundraising goal of $50 million for the campaign but is aiming to raise around $30 million in order to meet the event’s January 31, 2026, late entry deadline.
Pindar by Manuport Logistics has long been a key service provider in the professional yacht racing world, providing logistics support to teams and event organizers during each of the last four America’s Cup cycles, the last three editions of The Ocean Race around the world, and a multitude of other major professional sailing events, including the Extreme Sailing Series, GC32 Racing Tour, Star Sailors League Gold Cup, and many more.
The 174-year-old America’s Cup dates back to 1851 and is widely recognized as the world’s oldest international sporting trophy. The current holders, Emirates Team New Zealand, first won the Cup in 2017, when it was staged in Bermuda, and went on to defend it successfully in 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand, and again in 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
The 38th edition marks the first time the America’s Cup will be contested in Italy and is expected to attract significant interest from the country’s passionate sailing fans, as well as internationally from the global sailing and mainstream sporting communities. Up to six teams are expected to compete using 75-foot AC75 foiling monohull yachts that fly above the water at speeds approaching 60 miles per hour.
The Challenger Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match will take place in Naples in 2027, with up to three preliminary regattas scheduled to take place in 2026 using smaller 40-foot AC40 yachts.
“Mounting an America’s Cup challenge is a massive undertaking with a huge number of moving parts,” said Riptide Racing CEO and skipper Chris Poole. “Effective management of our shipping and logistics is a key element in the potential success of our campaign, and we are delighted to have such an experienced partner as Pindar by Manuport Logistics in our corner. The company’s experience and track record speak for themselves, and having them on board with us is a major milestone on our journey to the 38th America’s Cup.”
Andrew Pindar, Partner at Pindar by Manuport Logistics, said the company was delighted to add the new American team to its roster of clients for AC38 and wished Poole and his team every success in meeting the January 31 deadline for entry.
“Chris and I have known each other for many years from the World Match Racing Tour, and I am confident he has the skills and personal drive to get
this campaign over the line,” Pindar said. “We very much look forward to partnering with the Riptide Racing syndicate at AC38 and beyond.
“The America’s Cup is a highly sensitive and secretive environment, and everyone in our organization fully understands the importance of confidentiality in the work we do. We have managed that delicate situation successfully over several Cup cycles now, and we have been preparing for many months to continue to deliver efficiencies, savings, and excellent service to all our clients in Naples in 2027 and at the preliminary event venues in 2026 – wherever they may be.”
Find out more about Riptide Racing at www.riptideracing.com