The agreement follows Riptide Racing’s recent announcement of plans to
collaborate with the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club to mount an
American challenge for AC38, scheduled to take place in Naples, Italy, in
2027.
The team has set an overall fundraising goal of $50 million for the
campaign but is aiming to raise around $30 million in order to meet the
event’s January 31, 2026, late entry deadline.
Pindar by Manuport Logistics has long been a key service provider in the
professional yacht racing world, providing logistics support to teams and
event organizers during each of the last four America’s Cup cycles, the last
three editions of The Ocean Race around the world, and a multitude of
other major professional sailing events, including the Extreme Sailing
Series, GC32 Racing Tour, Star Sailors League Gold Cup, and many more.
The 174-year-old America’s Cup dates back to 1851 and is widely
recognized as the world’s oldest international sporting trophy. The current
holders, Emirates Team New Zealand, first won the Cup in 2017, when it
was staged in Bermuda, and went on to defend it successfully in 2021 in
Auckland, New Zealand, and again in 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
The 38th edition marks the first time the America’s Cup will be contested in
Italy and is expected to attract significant interest from the country’s
passionate sailing fans, as well as internationally from the global sailing
and mainstream sporting communities. Up to six teams are expected to
compete using 75-foot AC75 foiling monohull yachts that fly above the
water at speeds approaching 60 miles per hour.
The Challenger Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match will take
place in Naples in 2027, with up to three preliminary regattas scheduled to
take place in 2026 using smaller 40-foot AC40 yachts.
“Mounting an America’s Cup challenge is a massive undertaking with a
huge number of moving parts,” said Riptide Racing CEO and skipper Chris
Poole.
“Effective management of our shipping and logistics is a key
element in the potential success of our campaign, and we are delighted to
have such an experienced partner as Pindar by Manuport Logistics in our
corner. The company’s experience and track record speak for themselves,
and having them on board with us is a major milestone on our journey to
the 38th America’s Cup.”
Andrew Pindar, Partner at Pindar by Manuport Logistics, said the company
was delighted to add the new American team to its roster of clients for
AC38 and wished Poole and his team every success in meeting the
January 31 deadline for entry.
“Chris and I have known each other for many years from the World Match
Racing Tour, and I am confident he has the skills and personal drive to get
this campaign over the line,” Pindar said. “We very much look forward to partnering with the Riptide Racing syndicate at AC38 and beyond.
“The America’s Cup is a highly sensitive and secretive environment, and
everyone in our organization fully understands the importance of
confidentiality in the work we do. We have managed that delicate situation
successfully over several Cup cycles now, and we have been preparing for
many months to continue to deliver efficiencies, savings, and excellent
service to all our clients in Naples in 2027 and at the preliminary event
venues in 2026 – wherever they may be.”
