The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australia will have an AC38 America’s Cup challenger with John Winning Jr (of 18ft Skiff fame) backing the effort.
The official announcement of the Challenge will be made on Thursday in Sydney at the Royal Prince Edward YC.
UPDATE 13 May 2026
The Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club has informed its members that the club has formally issued a Notice of Challenge to the New Zealand Yacht Squadron for the 38th America’s Cup, to be held in Naples in 2027.
The club informed the members prior to the official presentation set for Thursday 14 May, due to the article posted in the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday 13 May.
The Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club was the Challenger club in 1983 when Australia II led by John Bertrand, ended the New York Yacht Club’s hold on the cup.
The Australian entry will bring the final number of challengers for the 38th America’s Cup to six teams, to face defender Emirates Team New Zealand.
Team Australia is reported to have purchased the Emirates Team NZ AC75, which was the boat used by the Kiwi AC team to win the 2021 America’s Cup.
It will need to be modified to the latest version of the AC75 rule to be able to compete in the 38th America’s Cup in Naples in 2027.
Tom Slingsby, currently helming the Australian Bonds Flying Roos SailGP Team at the top of the 2026 Leaderboard, is expected to be one of the co-helms together with with Glenn Ashby. Grant Simmer, is appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Team Australia.
Ashby was injured (broken tibia and fibula) in last weekends SailGP event in Bermuda while competing with the DS Automobiles Team France.
Australia famously won the America’s Cup in 1983 with John Bertrand’s Australia II beating American defender, Dennis Connor’s Liberty 4-3 . . . ending the longest winning streak in sports history (132 years).
The American Racing Challenger Team USA, was recently revealed as a confirmed entry having acquired key America’s Cup sailing assets from American Magic, including the AC75 yacht ‘Patriot’ and the team’s two AC40 platforms.
