"America's Cup disagreement might steer toward a complex path," - Matt Sheahan's statement
The America's Cup, one of the world's most prestigious sailing events, is facing an uncertain future as a dispute between the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, and the Challenger of Record, has escalated into a public standoff. The disagreement revolves around the draft protocol for the 38th America's Cup, with the main points of contention being the proposed format and rules.
The draft protocol suggests significant changes, including reducing the crew from eight to six, with a mandatory female sailor and an under-25-year-old, eliminating cyclors or grinders in favour of solely electric power, and a guest crew slot. While the Defender released this draft protocol with several progressive innovations, the Challenger of Record and other challengers have expressed reservations, leading to heated exchanges[1][5].
K-Challenge, representing France, has voiced support for the draft protocol, emphasising its alignment with values of performance, innovation, diversity, and decarbonization in the maritime industry. They urge the Challenger of Record to sign the protocol to enable all teams to prepare effectively[3].
However, the precise status beyond this public dispute is fluid. The disagreement threatens to complicate or delay final agreement on the event’s format and could potentially lead to a "Cup re-set," meaning significant disruption or reset of the America's Cup cycle. Such a reset could impact the event schedule, format, and possibly the location of the competition if consensus is not reached quickly[1].
The AC Partnership (ACP) has been formed, where the Defender, Challenger of Record, and other competitors agree to work collaboratively to create the next America's Cup. This partnership, however, does not seem to have resolved the ongoing dispute[2].
The next generation of AC75s will have no cyclors or grinders and rely solely on electric power. If the current dispute deepens, the two sides may dig in, leading to a Deed of Gift (DoG) match. A DoG match can be expensive and may mark a design re-set[4]. For the Kiwis, a DoG match would be a significant financial risk and a relinquishment of control over the rules[6].
The crew for the AC75s will be reduced from eight to six. Naples has been announced as the venue for the next America's Cup, which some challengers believe is a violation of the draft rules[7]. A seventh position will be available as a guest slot[8].
The dispute involves the British, American, Swiss, and Kiwi teams on one side, and the Italian and French teams on the other. A proposed spending cap of €60million has been set for the 38th America's Cup[9].
As of late July 2025, the situation remains tenuous with hopes for resolution but no definitive agreement reached publicly[1][3][5]. The outcome of this dispute may influence the final racing format, inclusivity measures, preparations and timelines for teams, and potential host city considerations if the event timeline or format changes drastically due to disagreement.
[1] America's Cup Dispute: Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record at Odds Over Draft Protocol, Yachting World, July 2025. [2] AC Partnership: Defender, Challenger of Record, and Challengers Collaborate to Create Next America's Cup, America's Cup, July 2025. [3] K-Challenge Urges Challenger of Record to Sign America's Cup Draft Protocol, Sailing News, July 2025. [4] DoG Match: Potential Consequences and Financial Implications, Yachting Monthly, July 2025. [5] America's Cup Dispute: A Closer Look at the Heated Exchanges, Sailing Today, July 2025. [6] Financial Risks and Control Over Rules: Kiwi's Perspective on DoG Match, Yachting World, July 2025. [7] Naples as Venue for America's Cup: Challengers' Concerns and Potential Rule Violation, Sailing News, July 2025. [8] Guest Crew Slot: A New Opportunity for the 38th America's Cup, America's Cup, July 2025. [9] Proposed Spending Cap for 38th America's Cup: A Game Changer or a Barrier to Competition?, Yachting Monthly, July 2025.
- Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of the America's Cup due to a disputed draft protocol, the next generation of AC75s in the sailing event will feature a reduced crew size of six, a mandatory female sailor, an under-25-year-old, and solely electric power, eliminating cyclors or grinders.
- A proposed spending cap of €60 million has been set for the 38th America's Cup, pitting British, American, Swiss, and Kiwi teams against Italian and French teams in a dispute that has escalated into a public standoff, involving the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, and the Challenger of Record.
- Naples, the announced venue for the next America's Cup, has faced criticisms from some challengers who believe it violates the draft rules, and a guest crew slot will be available for the event.
- The AC Partnership, comprising the Defender, Challenger of Record, and other competitors, aims to collaborate in creating the next America's Cup, but the ongoing dispute over the draft protocol has not been resolved, affecting the final racing format, inclusivity measures, team preparations, and potentially the location of the competition.
