Historical alliance
The teams for the 2027 America's Cup have formed an unprecedented alliance. Until now, it was customary for the defender of the "jug" and the first challenger, the so-called Challenger of Record, to negotiate the terms for the upcoming defence. Other defenders had to submit to the terms of this negotiation. The newly formed America's Cup Partnership (ACP) now unites Emirates Team New Zealand, Athena Racing, Luna Rossa, Tudor Team Alinghi and K-Challenge in a joint alliance.
YACHT had already reported on the ACP reported in detailWhat is new is that the five teams listed above are now explicitly mentioned. This makes it clear that there are at least four challengers in addition to the defender. Whether there will be more is uncertain. The official registration deadline was the end of October 2025, but there is still a late registration period with higher costs until 31 January 2026.
The aim of the ACP is to stabilise the 174-year-old America's Cup in the long term and secure it as a top technological and sporting platform. This was triggered by the protocol between defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand and challenger Athena Racing for the 38th America's Cup in Naples, which paved the way for the new structure.
Fixed two-year cycle
The centrepiece of the ACP is a clear two-year cycle: in future, the America's Cup will be held every two years. This creates planning security for teams, sponsors and organisers and is intended to increase the global fan base in the long term. An independent management team will also ensure consistently professional organisation and uniform standards from event to event.
Joint revenue models and new cost controls are intended to broaden the economic basis and at the same time bring the sporting field closer together. The alliance wants to prevent individual big budgets from dominating the field without sacrificing the Cup's innovative character. The teams are talking about a more transparent structure that should raise the competition to the level of other major sporting events.
Focus on women and young talent
An important building block is looking to the future: the Women's and Youth America's Cup formats will remain firmly anchored and are intended to serve as an entry point and a transit station into the professional circuit. At the 38th America's Cup in Naples, at least one woman will have to sail on board each AC75, which is a clear commitment to more diversity in high-performance sailing. In this way, the Cup should remain attractive and accessible for future generations of sailors.
The five founding teams plan to present further details on the new structure and the exact match dates on 21 January 2026 in Naples.
