Six months removed from the conclusion of the 37th America’s Cup, the new cycle might have already exceeded its predecessor in terms of off-water storylines.
After a relatively tame cycle in the America’s Cup ended with Emirates
America’s Cup: Key moments from a dramatic start to the 38th edition
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Three months later, Ineos announced they were parting ways with Ainslie and would be organising their own challenge for the next edition. Ainslie’s Athena Racing remained the representative of the Challenger of Record, however, and a legal battle ensued.
While Athena Racing remains the Challenge of Record, the big question around who will fund their next campaign hangs overhead.
Auckland ruled out as host venue (April 1)
To no one’s surprise, Auckland was ruled out as a potential host only weeks after it was confirmed that the City of Sails was in conversations about bringing the regatta home. Team NZ were asking for $150 million to hold the event here which, in a similar model to the successful Barcelona bid, would have been split between local government, private backers and central government.
Central government ruled out the bid, with Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell saying it would have cost the Government $75m. The Herald understands that figure included a cash investment of up to $50m, as well as flow-on spend.
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Team NZ and America’s Cup Event boss Grant Dalton told the Herald the next edition was likely to return to Europe, and he has since visited the continent for key meetings with potential hosts. Athens (Greece) and Naples (Italy) are believed to be among the frontrunners.
Ineos Britannia, the second, won’t challenge after all (April 10)
Ratcliffe’s America’s Cup spin-off project was short-lived. The Ineos boss pulled the plug on his proposed second British challenge, accusing Ainslie and Athena Racing of dragging their heels over settlement negotiations that would have allowed both teams to compete.
“The agreement that had been reached with Athena would have allowed both parties to compete in the next Cup, but it depended on a rapid resolution,” a statement from Ineos read.
“Ineos Britannia had agreed the substantive terms very quickly, but Athena failed to bring the agreement to a timely conclusion. Ineos Britannia is of the opinion that this six-month delay has undermined its ability to prepare for the next Cup and so has reluctantly withdrawn its challenge.”
Emirates Team New Zealand and Peter Burling split (April 11)
In perhaps the biggest shock of the campaign so far, Team NZ will go into the new cycle without their three-time winning helmsman Peter Burling.
The team announced they had parted ways with the 34-year-old earlier this month, withdrawing an offer to bring him back due to the time it was taking to come to an agreement. That leaves them looking for a new helmsman after more than a decade with Burling at the wheel.
While Burling was non-committal on going for a fourth cup in a row with the team when asked by the Herald immediately after winning the cup match in Barcelona, few could have predicted such an abrupt parting of ways.
Burling is yet to share his side of the story, however, Dalton said the team needed certainty in order to build their campaign as it will be just three years between cups this time around rather than four.
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“No more time could go by. The team’s moving pretty fast now. The next cycle is only two years from now. The sailing team is an important part in the integration of the design team, and the design team needs certainty as well. It’s a really sad day, actually.”
Alinghi Red Bull Racing pulls the plug (April 20)
After returning to the arena of the Auld Mug for the last campaign, the Swiss syndicate announced they would be exiting once again.
While entries are not yet open for the next edition, it was believed that all challengers from Barcelona intended to return for the next cycle. Instead, both Alinghi Red Bull Racing and their yacht club La Société Nautique de Genève confirmed they did not plan on launching another challenge this time around.
The challenger noted frustrations with the Defender in regards to the future of the event were a key reason for the decision, saying in a statement: “We would like to have seen more accountability, greater transparency and new opportunities to perform not only individually but as a group. That way we might all of us together could have delivered a commercially viable event capable of attracting global TV coverage, spectators and sponsors.”
It was an announcement that appeared to have caught the Defender completely off-guard, with Dalton saying “all the teams have been actively involved in trying to form an arrangement which would secure a more open and inclusive running of the America’s Cup and Alinghi Red Bull Racing have seemingly been very supportive of the initiative along with all participants”.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
