It’s Official – New America’s Cup Partnership Agreement Reached

The 38th America’s Cup Defender and the Challenger of Record have officially agreed the terms for the formation of the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP).

The Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand representing Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the Challenger of Record, Britain’s Athena Racing representing the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, having worked through the final points in New York this week.

The terms for the formation of the ACP include the regular contest of the America’s Cup every two years.

The ACP will be operational from 1 November 2025 and will be driven by a new governance board, with each team having a seat on the board, that will establish an independent management team focused on commercial growth, long-term investment into the event and the teams, continued technical development and innovation across enduring America’s Cup competitions.

Athena Racing CEO and Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie said . . .

“The formation of ACP is a truly historic moment for the America’s Cup and has taken 12 months and cross team collaboration to put in place. For the first time, teams are uniting not just as rivals on the water, but as shared stakeholders in its future. This collective approach enables us to realise the Cup’s global commercial potential while protecting its unique heritage. It marks the start of an exciting new era, not just for the teams, but for fans, partners and the sport of sailing.”

The close of the initial entry period for teams to enter and become part of the governance of the America’s Cup Partnership is set at 31 October 2025.

From November 1st, the establishment of the Partnership will now move into a more practical phase of set up with a transfer of assets, establishment of key committees and appointment of key ACP personnel all the while operationally the planning on the ground in Naples continues with the development of the Bagnoli event site and overall event schedule including securing Preliminary Regatta venues for 2026 and 2027.

Full Press Release available here . . .