Pensacola, Florida has been the quiet hub of American Racing Challenger Team USA's activity in recent weeks, even as much of the America's Cup world had its attention fixed on the Sardinia Preliminary Regatta. That behind-the-scenes preparation came into view this week with the launch and first test sails of the team's two AC40 yachts.
Until now, American Racing had kept deliberately out of the public eye. The organisation confirmed two-time Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott as Sailing Director, but went no further with any formal team or sailing squad announcement, choosing instead to run an extensive evaluation process away from the spotlight. The Pensacola training block marked a shift, drawing together a senior squad and a Women's team across both boats. Paris 2024 Olympian Erika Reineke offered a candid look at how those sessions have been progressing.
"We've been two-boating, so making sure that both boats are working properly and getting those dialled-in and set up right and looking at some aero and hydro settings in the light air that we had. The goals for the rest of the week are pretty similar with the conditions that we'll have, pretty flat water and more light air to come. We're just playing around with narrower cants at times and sometimes wider, depending on the boat speeds or what we're entering our manoeuvres at."
Reineke was equally open about how the two groups have been operating alongside one another. "We have a senior squad on one boat and then a women's team on the other, and it's been a pretty good mix, some tuning line-ups, which have been great, and also doing some starting practice...just getting the gist of things and seeing how the two teams work together and can benefit from each other."
The two AC40s currently carry plain hulls in their delivery livery, though a fresh design is expected to arrive well ahead of the second Preliminary Regatta in Naples, scheduled for 24 to 27 September 2026. The team is anticipated to confirm at least one boat for that event, making the coming months a significant stretch for the programme.
