Joining the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand and the official Challenger of Record, Athena Racing (GBR), are three teams from AC37: Italy’s Luna Rossa, the French K-Challenge, and the Swiss syndicate Tudor Team Alinghi.
These five teams are the founding members in the newly introduced America’s Cup Partnership Agreement (ACP), an initiative aimed at creating a sustainable infrastructure for sailing’s oldest and most prestigious competition.
Under the ACP, the event will run on a two-year cycle – a key benefit to teams and commercial partners looking to invest in the long term. AC38 and future America’s Cups will be run by an independent management team with oversight from a board of directors made up of representatives of the ACP members. Newly introduced budget caps and revenue sharing amongst the competing teams are hoped to make the event more accessible to new teams for long-term campaigns. A core element of the ACP is a commitment to the long-term future Women’s and Youth America’s Cup and the creation of accessible and diverse pathways into the competition.
