Team Australia has officially been confirmed as a challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, set to take place in Naples in 2027, marking a major return of Australian sailing to the sport’s most prestigious competition.
The entry, representing the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, has been accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, making it the sixth confirmed challenger for the upcoming edition.
Backed by the Winning family, the campaign brings together some of the most decorated names in modern sailing. Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion Tom Slingsby has been appointed Head of Sailing, while three-time America’s Cup winner Glenn Ashby joins as Head of Performance & Design.
The team will also be led by CEO Grant Simmer, a veteran of the historic “Australia II” campaign that famously ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak in 1983.
Simmer described the project as a personal milestone and a long-term vision to rebuild Australia’s presence at the highest level of the America’s Cup, focusing on developing the next generation of sailors, designers and engineers.
Slingsby said representing Australia in a full national campaign is a long-held ambition, highlighting the significance of building a unified team with deep roots in Australian sailing talent.
Ashby added that the project represents both a continuation of Australia’s legacy in the Cup and a forward-looking approach, combining elite experience with modern engineering, simulation and performance systems.
The 38th America’s Cup will also introduce new rules requiring at least one female sailor on each race crew, alongside the continued development of Youth and Women’s pathways—further shaping a more inclusive and performance-driven era of the competition.
With a strong leadership group and renewed national backing, Team Australia enters the Cup as a serious contender and one of the most anticipated returns to the starting line in recent years.
