America's Cup: Official confirmation of additional Challenges
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 31 Mar 13:17 PDT
Naples - September 2025 © America's Cup Media
Following the close of Late Challenges on March 31, the America's Cup Partnership have confirmed to sail-World that additional Challenges have been received.
"The America’s Cup Partnership can confirm that additional entries have been lodged for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples and the acceptance process is underway.
"In accordance with the Protocol, in due course, the full list of entries will be confirmed and published in entry order. Out of respect for the new teams, the ACP will await their individual confirmations and public announcements before publishing the final list."
Ahead of that announcement, a team that had previously announced they were seeking backing has announced on social media that they will not be challenging in 2027.
Riptide Racing (USA), led by top match racer, Chris Poole, has announced that "although we achieved significant commitments from financial backers and partners, we have run out of time to line everything up for the 38th America's Cup".
Saying that the start of the 39th America's Cup cycle is just over a year away, Riptide Racing says, "Our focus is now on carrying the momentum we've established forward into the next edition."
The deadline for Late Challenges ran out at 2359hrs NZDT (1059hrs UTC on March 31).
As well as Riptide Racing, other groups said to be attempting to assemble a Late Challenge included a Czech/USA team, an Australian team, and a second Italian team.
The Czech/USA team is led by Karel Komárek a 57yr old Czech multi-billionaire and investor. He races the 100ft Maxi "V" and is said to be in negotiations to acquire/use the facilities and AC75 of the American Magic team owned by Doug DeVos. American Magic, which has three AC75s - two from their 2021 campaign and another from 2024 - have declared it will not race in the 2027 America's Cup. In the interim DeVos has purchased the Rockwool Denmark SailGP team.
Ahead of the 2021 America's Cup, there were six Late Challengers, none of which made it to the start line in the event.
A further issue for would-be teams is finding a club to represent, along with the responsibilities that entail it. Given that the required build time has run out, new teams must fund an existing AC75 from the 2024 or 2021 America's Cup cycles, which is structurally capable of being modified, worked up, and will then perform creditably as a race boat in the 2027 America's Cup, which is just over a year away.
We are expected to see the Australian Challenge and the Czech/USA Challenge confirmed as they are the only two that have secured, or are in negotiations to secure, viable AC75s. Some reports have appeared in the Italian media about a team being based in Genova, but this is believed to be the Czech/USA Challenge setting up a new base in Italy.