Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club confirms Australia’s return to America’s Cup
Sydney-based syndicate appoints Tom Slingsby and Grant Simmer to leadership roles as nation prepares for first official challenge since 2000
Sydney’s Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club has formally confirmed that Team Australia’s challenge for the 38th America’s Cup has been accepted, marking the nation’s return to the competition for the first time in over 25 years. The event is scheduled to take place in Naples, Italy, next year, positioning Australia among a field of challengers that includes a team from the United States.
The syndicate has assembled a leadership team anchored by significant historical and competitive experience. Olympic gold medalist Tom Slingsby, who currently races for an Australian team in the SailGP series, has been appointed head of sailing. He will be supported by three-time America’s Cup winner Glenn Ashby, who takes on the role of head of performance and design, and Grant Simmer, a member of the 1983 winning Australia II campaign, who serves as chief executive officer.
Simmer described the appointment as both deeply personal and exciting, noting his long-standing involvement with the event since the early 1980s. Slingsby echoed the sentiment, stating that representing Australia in the America’s Cup with an Australian team has been a career-long aspiration. The leadership structure aims to leverage past successes while navigating the complexities of modern high-performance sailing.
The last official Australian challenger was the Young Australia syndicate in the 2000 America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Since that time, Australian sailors and designers have contributed to winning teams for the United States, Switzerland, and New Zealand, but no team has flown the Australian flag in the final matches. The defending champions, Team New Zealand, secured their third consecutive title in October 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, defeating INEOS Britannia 7-2.
The 38th America’s Cup will be contested under new rules for the AC75 yachts, which mandate the inclusion of at least one female sailor in each race crew. Tash Bryant, one of the world’s top female sailors, highlighted the significance of this regulatory change, describing it as an important moment for the future of the sport that opens broader opportunities for women and younger generations. The winner of the challenger series will face Team New Zealand in a best-of-13 match final starting in July 2027.
