America’s Cup
With the turn of the year, the focus shifts decisively to ‘training and development mode.’ AC40 training is in full swing for many teams, redeveloped boats will launch, teams will intensify their on-water programmes, and the competitive picture for Naples 2027 will begin to take shape. From the first AC75 sailing days to the return of Recon coverage and anticipation of Preliminary Regattas, the coming year marks the moment when preparation turns into performance.
A DEFINING TIME FOR THE OLDEST TROPHY IN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS
When the history of the America’s Cup is written in the future, 2025 could well be the defining, watershed year that secured the position of the oldest trophy in international sports. A year of negotiation between the Defender, the Challenger of Record and all other stakeholders resulted in the ground-breaking formation of the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement. At the end of December 2025, it was announced that five founding teams have ‘united to unleash the potential of the America’s Cup, introducing a professional structure and stable sporting calendar to the 174-year-old competition.’
Those five teams are Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Athena Racing(GBR), Luna Rossa (ITA), Tudor Team Alinghi (SUI) and K-Challenge (FRA). Speaking about the ACP, Grant Dalton, CEO of Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand commented: “This is about preserving what makes the America’s Cup extraordinary while building a sustainable model that benefits everyone who shares our passion for this great competition. We are securing the position of the America’s Cup at the pinnacle of innovation and professional sport for decades to come.”
In essence, the ACP modernised the commercial arrangements and framework, advancing the 174-year-old competition into the modern era of global sports. The ACP fundamentally alters the basis on how future America’s Cup regattas will be scheduled with biennial cycles, whilst a sharing of event and commercial impact immediately derives value for the teams competing and its founding participants. The coming year will see the formation of the ACP Board and the shared governance take shape whilst the commitment to the new shortened format, independent management, economic sustainability and the key pathways of the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup events have been formalised.
TEAMS ALREADY TRAINING
The latter part of 2025 saw continuation with teams such as Emirates Team New Zealand, Athena Racing, Luna Rossa, and K-Challenge, all take to the water, undercover without compulsory Recon requirements, for training sessions in their AC40 yachts. Two-boat training has been conducted by both the Kiwis and Italians in Auckland and Cagliari respectively with notable intensity, whilst for the Challenger of Record, Athena Racing, their Athena Pathway team has recently been on the water from their base in Barcelona with Youth and Women’s teams sailing pre-Christmas. Meanwhile K-Challenge has been on the water in Lorient, and for all of the teams with the clock ticking, these training sessions will notably amplify in early 2026.
AC40 training in Barcelona, December 2025. Photo: © C.Gregory/Athena Sports Group
AC75s SET TO HIT THE WATER
Very much behind closed base doors, design teams and boatbuilders are preparing their new-rule AC75s with the first possible sailing day being the 16th January 2026. The modifications required under the Technical Regulations of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup will be extensive with the most recognisable feature being the new five-person crew arrangement and the introduction of having at least one female sailor and the Guest Racer spot onboard. Expect plenty of interpretation on deck layout, and with the Cyclors retired and replaced by adaptive smart battery power that mimics the Cyclors’ output from the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, there will be plenty of decisions for the sailing teams to make in relation to, crew functions, control systems, tactics and course strategy. It is expected that teams will first get to grips with the technology and the crew placings before we will see some intensive race preparation as the AC75s work-up their ‘Class of 2027’ adapted yachts.
PRELIMINARY REGATTAS INCOMING…
Next year will see a return of the Preliminary Regattas held at various, yet to be announced, locations around Europe. All entered teams will race in AC40 yachts for the 2026 Preliminary Regattas in strict one-design mode, and each team is also allowed to enter a second AC40 crewed by members of their Youth and Women’s teams. In light of this, many of the teams already training have afforded considerable time to the development of their Youth and Women’s squad members, with the senior sailors and coaches imparting key information to the next generation. With so much elite foiling talent coming through a variety of America’s Cup pathways, the future of the event has never looked brighter.
Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah, December 2023. Photo: © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
JOINT RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAMME READY TO START SHOOTING
Under the terms of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Protocol, the popular Joint Reconnaissance Programme (Recon) will start from the moment the first AC75 is launched and sailing. It will bring fans around the world all the analysis from off the water as it happens. Once again teams will be assigned two-person Recon teams that will follow and record activity on the water plus off-the-water interviews and spy shots from the team bases. Look out for the very latest on our website or follow the official America’s Cup social media channels to stay up to date. .
STAY TUNED FOR 2026…
We wish our followers all over the world, a happy holiday season and New Year, and we look forward to bringing you all the build-up throughout 2026 ahead of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples in 2027.
Stay tuned – the Cup is once again set to roar into life in 2026.
