Teams hoping to be involved in the 2027 America’s Cup are meeting in London this weekend under the shadow of the Ainslie-Ratcliffe falling-out.
Since INEOS Britannia announced that it had parted company with Sir Ben Ainslie and would enter a challenge for the 38th America’s Cup with Dave Endean as CEO, there has been speculation as to the status of the Challenger of Record.
The Challenger of Record for AC38 is the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd (RYSL) represented by INEOS Britannia.
Following the statement issued by INEOS Britannia and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, removing Sir Ben from the INEOS Britannia team, Ainslie issued a statement declaring that Ainslie’s British America’s Cup team would be known as Athena Racing going forwards.
Nothing else has been released since those two initial statements, with the RYSL unable to clarify the situation until the two parties, and presumably the cup holders/defenders, Team New Zealand, resolve the situation between the two, now separate British challenger teams.
It is expected that the London meeting, which will involve the teams that took part in the 37th America’s Cup and intend to challenge in 2027, will want to hear some firm developments to the preliminary statement issued back in November.
Particularly what the Defender is proposing regarding the venue, changes to the AC75 design and plans to further commercialise the America’s Cup. Although without resolution of the RYSL-INEOS-Athena position this may be difficult.
With Ainslie claiming that the British America’s Cup team is Athena Racing and apparently still representing the RYSL – although nobody has confirmed that – that would give Ainslie, through the RYSL the right to veto any new challenger.
One of which would presumably be the Ratcliffe backed team INEOS Britannia.
