The entry window for the America’s Cup just stayed open a little longer, and that small calendar change could have major implications for the 38th edition of the world’s oldest international sporting trophy.
The five teams already entered in the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup have agreed to extend the late entry deadline from January 31 to March 31, 2026, creating a final opportunity for prospective challengers rumored to be organizing campaigns in Australia and Italy, along with the previously announced U.S. effort known as Riptide Racing.
That extension is significant because entering the America’s Cup is no longer just about assembling sailors and sponsors. Under the Protocol confirmed on August 12, 2025, by defender Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record Athena Racing, all teams in 2027 must compete using existing hulls from the 37th America’s Cup cycle, or modified versions of the AC36 hulls from 2021. Every one of the current entrants already possesses those assets from previous campaigns. Any new team must now locate, purchase, and refit an available hull before even beginning the design and training race.
For a new campaign, that hurdle is as financial as it is logistical. Riptide Racing founder Chris Poole publicly set a fundraising target of $50 million for a competitive challenge, with $30 million needed simply to meet the entry requirement. As of press time, Poole has not commented on the team’s progress toward that goal.
If no American syndicate ultimately makes the starting line, the 2027 event would mark the first time in the Cup’s 175-year history without a United States entry — an absence that would be felt deeply in a competition originally won by the schooner America in 1851.
The confirmed field for 2027 currently includes Emirates Team New Zealand as Defender, Athena Racing representing Great Britain as Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team of Italy, Tudor Team Alinghi of Switzerland, and K-Challenge of France.
While the teams prepare, the venue story has also shifted. After hosting the 37th edition, Barcelona declined to host again, and the Cup has moved to one of sailing’s most storied coastlines. Naples, Italy will welcome the event in the spring and summer of 2027, bringing high-speed foiling monohulls to the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and the historic waterfront of the Bay of Naples.
The roots of this matchup stretch back to early November 2024, when the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Emirates Team New Zealand formally accepted the challenge from the Royal Yacht Squadron. More than a century and a half ago, it was the Royal Yacht Squadron that first presented the trophy that would become the America’s Cup. In 2027, Great Britain returns to challenge for it again, this time represented on the water by Sir Ben Ainslie and Athena Racing.
Challenger racing is expected to begin in the spring of 2027, culminating in the 38th Match scheduled for July 10 to 18. Between now and March 31, 2026, however, the most important racing may not be happening on the water at all. It’ll be taking place in boardrooms, design offices, and fundraising circles around the world as potential challengers race the clock to secure funding, acquire hulls, and claim a place on the starting line in Naples.
For sailing fans, and especially for American followers of the Cup, the extended deadline keeps a sliver of hope alive that another burgee may yet join the field before the clock finally runs out.
