{"id":709,"date":"2026-04-09T14:42:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=709"},"modified":"2026-04-09T14:42:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:42:57","slug":"ken-read-to-lead-last-minute-us-charge-for-the-americas-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=709","title":{"rendered":"Ken Read to lead last-minute US charge for the America\u2019s Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Ken Read as CEO and American Magic\u2019s AC75 in the shed, a ‘new’ US challenger enters the America’s cup ring. But is one year enough to win?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

After months of uncertainty regarding a US presence on the start line, the newly formed American Racing Challenger Team USA has been confirmed as an official challenger for the 38th edition of the America\u2019s Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Representing Sail Newport, the team bridges the gap left by the New York Yacht Club when they and their representative American Magic pulled out the America\u2019s Cup<\/a> in late October 2025 . Prior to this announcement, the competition in Naples was on track to be the first in history without an American boat.<\/p>\n

Sail Newport, although not one of the big traditional clubs typically associated with the America\u2019s Cup does have an interesting AC lineage. The entry is a full-circle moment for the club, an organisation founded in 1983 specifically because the Cup left American shores.<\/p>\n

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Sail Newport. Photo: Rodrigo Fernandez\/Sail Newport 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A turnkey takeover?<\/h2>\n

At present details are still a little thin on the ground \u2013 with the promise of more to come shortly. However, while the team carries a new name, the DNA is familiar. In a move that feels less like a fresh start and more like a strategic acquisition of the now-defunct American Magic<\/a> program, the new syndicate has purchased the previous team\u2019s core assets specifically Patriot<\/a>: The AC75<\/a> yacht that served as American Magic\u2019s primary racing platform and both the American Magic AC40s<\/a> though how much IP has been acquired alongside these platforms is currently unclear.<\/p>\n

The Ken Read Factor<\/h2>\n

The vision of entrepreneurs Karel Kom\u00e1rek and Chris Welch, American Racing Challenger Team USA, will be led by American yachtsman Ken Read<\/a>, two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and one of the world\u2019s most accomplished and respected sailors.<\/p>\n

If the hardware provides the foundation, the leadership provides the credibility. The appointment of Read as CEO signals that this is a serious sporting endeavour rather than a vanity project. However, even with Read at the helm and a boat already in the shed, the team faces a brutal race against time to be ready.<\/p>\n

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Chris Welch and Karel Kom\u00e1rek Co-Founders of American Racing Challenger Team USA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Race against the clock<\/h2>\n

Despite significant protocol upheaval and changes to the event, the foundational (and admittedly clich\u00e9d) truth in the America\u2019s Cup remains; \u2018there is only one thing you can\u2019t buy: time\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re under no illusion about the challenges ahead,\u201d Read admitted. \u201cWe\u2019re fully focused on building a team that can win the Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the 38th America\u2019s Cup set to begin in the Bay of Naples in Spring 2027, American Racing has roughly one year to assemble a world-class crew, optimise Patriot to the latest class rules, and match the flight-time of established powerhouses like Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.<\/p>\n

Further details on the official crew roster and technical partnerships are expected in the coming months. For now, American fans can breathe a sigh of relief: the stars and stripes will be foiling in Italy.<\/p>\n

The 38th America\u2019s Cup is scheduled to take place in Naples, Italy, starting in the Spring of 2027.<\/p>\n

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The post Ken Read to lead last-minute US charge for the America\u2019s Cup<\/a> appeared first on Yachting World<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Ken Read as CEO and American Magic\u2019s AC75 in the shed, a ‘new’ US challenger enters the America’s cup ring. But is one year enough to win? After months of uncertainty regarding a US presence on the start line, the newly formed American Racing Challenger Team USA has been confirmed as an official challenger…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}