The America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) has announced the formation of an historic alliance among the founding teams of sailing’s pinnacle event, marking a transformative moment in its 174-year history. This unity aims to establish a professional structure and a stable sporting calendar for the America’s Cup. The five founding teams — Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Athena Racing (GBR), Luna Rossa (ITA), Tudor Team Alinghi (SUI), and K-Challenge (FRA) — have come together to build an exciting future for the world’s oldest sporting competition. This new alliance follows the Protocol agreement established in August 2025 between Emirates Team New Zealand and Athena Racing, which laid out the foundations for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples.
Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, emphasised the aim of preserving the essence of the America’s Cup while establishing a sustainable model that benefits all stakeholders. The ACP’s vision is to maintain the America’s Cup as a leader in innovation and professional sport for years to come.
Several notable features of the new Partnership include:
- BIENNIAL CYCLE: The establishment of a regular, fixed racing calendar with America’s Cup events every two years, enhancing engagement for fans and consistency for teams, sponsors, and broadcasters.
- INDEPENDENT MANAGEMENT: A professional management team focused on sporting excellence and commercial opportunities, ensuring operational consistency throughout events.
- ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY: The introduction of shared revenues and cost control measures to foster competition while keeping the America’s Cup at the forefront of innovation.
- FUTURE FOCUSED: Commitment to initiatives like the Women’s and Youth America’s Cup, creating accessible pathways into the sport with gender diversity in competition.
Max Sirena from Luna Rossa indicated that joining this Partnership is a responsible decision for the sport and future generations of sailors. The collaboration aims to elevate sailing prominence globally while honouring the America’s Cup’s heritage.
Stephan Kandler of K-Challenge expressed pride in contributing to the America’s Cup’s legacy, bringing France’s historic sailing presence to the new partnership.
The teams plan to unveil further details about the Partnership on January 21, 2026, in Naples, including the race dates. The entry period for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup remains open until January 31, 2026, welcoming new teams to join the competition ahead of the Naples event in 2027.
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