An America’s Cup race in Britain would be a game-changer
Hthe past six months have been a privilege and we are ready to challenge again with full backing of Ineos
This has been a big week in our attempt to become the first British team to win the America’s Cup. Confirmation that Ineos will continue to back us through the next Cup cycle and that Team New Zealand have accepted us as their challenger of record for AC37 are two hugely important steps.
We are thrilled that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has committed again. Jim was as frustrated as the rest of us that we were unable to win the challenger series, but he understands that it was always going to be difficult up against two teams who co-wrote the class rule and who understood the concept of the AC75 earlier than the rest of us.
For those unfamiliar with the way in which the America’s Cup works, the challenger of record helps to shape the protocols for the next Cup alongside the defender. With Team New Zealand having come through their match against Luna Rossa, they had the right to select who they wished to work alongside. We are pleased that they chose us.
We are committed to continuing in this exciting AC75 class, and I am pleased about that. These boats are extraordinary – the scale of them, the speeds they are capable of generating. If there is a weak spot, it is probably the light-air performance, but we can work on that.
We are introducing a nationality rule, meaning all race crew will have to come from the country of the team’s yacht club. We are committed to reducing costs – limiting teams to the building of one boat, standardising certain non-essential parts – to encourage new entrants. I would hope to see at least six teams taking part in the next Cup.
The venue is the next big decision. It ultimately rests with the defender, but there are a number of options being discussed. I know there are rumours that we could host a one-off match around the Isle of Wight next year, at the midway point to the next Cup in 2024.
We would be delighted if New Zealand did want to bring the Cup to Britain. It would give the country something big to shout about coming out of Covid-19, give New Zealand the chance to raise commercial revenue, and all the other teams the chance to regroup. Ultimately, though, New Zealand are a commercially driven team. They have to look at all options.
The most important thing is we have the commitment that we are going ahead. This period is a bit like the transfer window in the Premier League. You have got the talent out there on the market, to an extent. You have to move quickly to try to secure the people you want.
We are in a much better position than four years ago. It is true that no challenger of record has ever won the Cup, and there is an argument to say that being COR can be a distraction. Fortunately, I am not superstitious and I would say if you are well structured and you have a good relationship with the defender, which we do, we should be able to make it work to our advantage. We have stability now. We have continuity. We have learnt so much from our two Cup cycles so far.
I want to congratulate Team New Zealand on defending the Cup and on staging an incredible event. The past six months have been a privilege and a whirlwind. We have not really had much time to be grumpy about our defeat.
We head next to Bermuda and the start of the Sailgp series, for what has become the pre-eminent year-on-year global sailing league. Although we did not ultimately get what we came for when we arrived here six months ago, we are not leaving emptyhanded. Thank you, New Zealand.