Organizers of the America's Cup are facing a challenge to balance commercial expansion and audience growth with the preservation of its historical rules. British skipper Sir Ben Ainslie, whose team will challenge Emirates New Zealand in 2027, sees "huge potential to grow" if the competition can adapt its business model. The America's Cup is held every three to four years, and changes to its format are difficult due to the historic rules laid down in the original deed of gift, which grants the winner the right to determine key aspects like location and boat types. Amending this deed requires agreement from all yacht clubs that have ever won the Cup.
Ainslie, principal and chief executive of Ineos Britannia, advocates for more certainty, more events, more teams, and lower participation costs. He also highlights the success of new youth and women's America's Cup events, launched in Barcelona this year. However, the current structure provides little incentive for the defending champion to make changes that would increase certainty or competitiveness for other teams, as the rules largely favor the winner. Grant Dalton, CEO of this year's America's Cup and head of the New Zealand team, acknowledges a "strategic discussion now" about changes but emphasizes the importance of protecting the Cup's heritage, viewing its unique rules as a safeguard against excessive commercialism.
Funding an America's Cup campaign can cost up to $120 million, with six teams competing this year. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of Ineos chemicals group, has solely backed the past two British campaigns and will fund the next, this time with additional commercial partners. New Zealand's sponsors include Emirates, Toyota, and Omega. This year's event was the "second best funded Cup event ever," with Barcelona paying $70 million to host and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Puig as sponsors. However, securing media and commercial partners is challenging because they require venue and schedule information years in advance. Ainslie believes that providing such predictability would increase media values and commercial partnerships, and combined with reduced participation costs, would lead to more teams and elevate the entire competition.
In a related development, the New York Yacht Club has raised concerns about the America's Cup Partnership (ACP), a body intended to govern future editions of the race. The NYYC argues that the deed of gift assigns governance to the Defender and Challenger of Record for each cycle, not a permanent body like the ACP. They also contest the ACP's ability to reject challenges from clubs not joining the partnership, the advance definition of rules for future matches, and the lack of transparency regarding the Partnership Agreements. The NYYC views these developments as a potential shift from an open Challenge Cup to a periodic regatta governed by a central body, which they believe would require a court-reviewed amendment to the deed. The 38th America's Cup, scheduled for Naples in July 2027, remains on track despite these legal challenges.
Separately, The Ocean Race Atlantic, set to kick off in September 2026 from New York City, is introducing a new gender-balanced crew requirement for the first time. Teams will be required to have two women and two men onboard, an initiative designed to promote gender equity in offshore sailing. This builds on a decade-long partnership between The Ocean Race and 11th Hour Racing, the official Impact Partner of the 2026 race. Their collaboration has focused on advancing ocean science and literacy, sustainable event excellence, and equity and inclusion in offshore sailing, with notable achievements in onboard science equipment, open-access ocean data, and a multilingual ocean literacy program. Lucy Hunt, Ocean Impact Director of The Ocean Race, stated that this partnership aims to push offshore racing towards a more equitable and sustainable future and connect communities with the ocean.
