Team Australia returns to the America’s Cup as sixth challenger for Naples 2027
What had been circulating for weeks as more than just dockside speculation is now official: Australia is returning to the America’s Cup. The Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club has confirmed that its challenge for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples has been accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, making Team Australia the sixth challenger entered for the next edition of the Cup.
Representing the Australian yacht club will be Team Australia, a project backed by John Winning, who previously supported the country’s Youth & Women’s America’s Cup campaigns in Barcelona in 2024. The new syndicate has been created with the clear ambition of bringing together under one flag many of the Australian sailors, designers and engineers who, over recent decades, have helped shape successful America’s Cup teams around the world.
The challenging yacht club, the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, was founded more than a century ago by a group of sailors who wanted to establish a private club close to their homes. Originally named The New Yacht Club and later Southern Yacht Club, it eventually adopted its current name following the official visit to Australia of Edward, Prince of Wales — later King Edward VIII — who arrived in Sydney aboard HMS Renown in 1920.
The sporting and technical structure unveiled today immediately signals serious ambitions. Olympic gold medallist and two-time World Sailor of the Year Tom Slingsby will take on the role of Head of Sailing, while three-time America’s Cup winner Glenn Ashby, recently inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, will lead the Performance & Design department.
Heading the project will be Grant Simmer, one of the key figures behind the historic Australia II campaign that ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak in 1983.
Grant Simmer, CEO of Team Australia, said: “For me, this campaign carries deep personal meaning as well as being an incredibly exciting opportunity. My involvement in the America’s Cup began in the early 1980s when I was fortunate enough to be part of the legendary Australia II team that changed the course of Cup history forever. Since then, I’ve been involved in every edition of the America’s Cup, including the successful staging of the event in Fremantle, still regarded as one of the greatest America’s Cups ever held. Over the decades, Australian talent has spread across teams all over the world. Thanks to John Winning and this new challenge, we now have the opportunity to bring that talent back together and once again compete for our country. What excites me most is helping develop a new generation of Australian America’s Cup sailors, designers and engineers who can create a strong and lasting foundation for Australia in the modern era of the Cup.”
Tom Slingsby also underlined the symbolic importance of Australia’s return to the competition: “It means a great deal to me to have the opportunity to represent Australia in the America’s Cup with an Australian team. To play a meaningful role in bringing our nation back to the Cup has been a dream throughout my career. It’s made even more special by sharing the journey with Herman Winning, a close friend of more than 30 years. There’s huge excitement around what we’re building together and I’m incredibly proud to be part of the beginning of this new chapter for Australian sailing.”
Glenn Ashby, who is also involved in the Ferrari Hypersail project, added: “For more than half my career I’ve dreamed of seeing an Australian team return to the America’s Cup, the absolute pinnacle of our sport. Australians love sport and the values that come with it — camaraderie, unity and shared purpose. It’s incredibly exciting and a great honour to help shape a meaningful new chapter in Australian sport while paying tribute to those who came before us. Team Australia is being built on that legacy, combining the experience and expertise of established Australian professionals with emerging talent to develop multiple departments for the future. This new team will make full use of the latest engineering, design, simulation and performance optimisation tools as we prepare to be ready for Naples from the beginning of next year. Competing in sailing’s greatest event has only been made possible through the vision, courage and commitment shown by John Winning and his family, who have turned the dream of many into reality.”
Team Australia sailor Tash Bryant described the campaign as part of a defining moment for the future of the sport: “This is a new era for the America’s Cup. The evolution of the boats and the competition is creating new opportunities and greater visibility for women in elite sailing, while also building clearer pathways for younger generations entering the sport. For young Australian sailors watching the launch of this campaign today, that representation and ambition matter enormously.”
The new challenger will also join the board of the America’s Cup Partnership. ACP Chairman and Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton welcomed Australia’s return, saying: “History shows that Southern Hemisphere sailing nations tend to produce their very best in the America’s Cup. As Chairman of the ACP, and as CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, I’m delighted to welcome Australia back to the competition. We recognise how formidable they can be as competitors, and we know the depth of sailing talent Australia possesses. We’re also seeing exceptionally fast young sailors emerging through the Women & Youth programmes. We wish them the very best and look forward to lining up against them in Naples in the summer of 2027.”
Marzio Perrelli, CEO of the America’s Cup Partnership, echoed those sentiments: “Team Australia, representing the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club and officially our sixth challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, has assembled an incredibly talented and experienced line-up from the outset. I look forward to working closely with the team and welcoming them onto the America’s Cup Partnership Board. Australia’s return to the America’s Cup is something the entire nation can celebrate and proudly support.
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