American Racing Challenger Team USA, flying the flag for Sail Newport, is up and running from its Pensacola, Florida base, with a carefully plotted 'Road to Naples' already gaining traction ahead of the 2027 America's Cup. The squad has confirmed its place at the second Preliminary Regatta in Naples, scheduled for 24 to 27 September, and has spent recent weeks assessing athletes and piecing together the sailing team and wider structure that will represent the United States. Sailing Director Giles Scott walked through where the campaign stands and where it is headed.
The atmosphere coming out of Pensacola is one of genuine optimism. Two AC40 training camps are now behind the team, and Giles is unambiguous about what they delivered. "The camps have been really positive and have given us a great opportunity to start shaping what the team will look like. One of our key focuses is building a team with a strong American identity with one eye firmly on the future. We're taking a long-term view of this campaign and the programme as a whole. We're not simply trying to build a team for one event; we're building something that we hope will be successful and sustainable over a longer period of time. That means looking for talented individuals across every area of the team but also identifying sailors with the potential to grow and develop within the programme. There's definitely a youthful American element to what we're building, and that's something we're excited about as we look ahead to the future."
Getting a new Cup campaign off the ground quickly is among the steepest logistical hills any team faces, and American Racing Challenger Team USA arrived at the starting line with a significant head start. The acquisition of the American Magic assets and infrastructure is the reason Giles points to. "We were able to get operational very quickly, which has been one of the major advantages of acquiring the American Magic assets and infrastructure. That has allowed us to hit the ground running and begin meaningful sailing and evaluation much earlier than would otherwise have been possible. We've also been fortunate to get two AC40s on the water quickly, which has enabled us to start two-boat testing and racing almost immediately. That's hugely valuable at this stage of the campaign."
Each of the two completed camps served a distinct purpose. The first cast a wide net. "The first camp brought together Senior, Women's and Youth invitees, giving us the opportunity to evaluate a broad group of sailors. We had a lot of people and limited boat time which was a challenge from a logistics perspective, but it allowed us to see sailors in a variety of positions and environments."
The second camp pulled the lens in tighter. "The second camp was a smaller group with a more focused schedule. We separated the groups more on the water and focused on understanding how sailors operated within their respective teams. What stood out most was how competitive the racing was from the outset. There was a huge amount of talent on display, and it was encouraging to see how quickly people adapted."
Throughout both camps, sailors have been rotated across a range of positions, with more clearly defined role assignments coming in the months ahead. "Across both camps we've continued rotating sailors through different positions, and over the coming months we'll begin to define roles more clearly. Overall, the quality of the sailing and the competitiveness we've seen so early in the process has been extremely encouraging."
With the Naples regatta now locked into the schedule, the pace of work is set to intensify. "The next few months are going to be incredibly busy as we continue building momentum towards Naples and beyond. On the AC75, we're looking to have the core of the sailing team defined in the coming weeks. We've still got more evaluation and training to do, but we're reaching the point where the shape of the team is starting to come together."
Two additional camps are planned before the AC40 regatta in September. The first will be held in Pensacola, with its attention directed primarily at Senior and Youth sailors. The second will take place on the Naples racecourse itself, giving the team a meaningful opportunity to get to grips with the venue before competition begins. As Giles puts it, "The Naples regatta will be a chance for the AC75 team to measure themselves against rivals and will be an important milestone as we continue to build experience together ahead of the next phase of the campaign."
The programme keeps rolling well beyond September. "Beyond that, the programme will continue to accelerate as we transition towards big-boat sailing and the next stages of America's Cup development. For the Women's and Youth programmes, activity will continue, although much of the focus will shift towards preparing for the team's move to Naples and the opportunities that follow."
The eventual permanent relocation to Naples ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series is something Giles greets with barely contained excitement. "We're hugely excited about Naples. It feels like the start of a new chapter, not only for our team but for the America's Cup as a whole. It's a fantastic venue and everything we've seen so far suggests it will produce exceptional racing conditions for both the AC40 and the AC75."
That enthusiasm is also grounded in an honest appreciation of what September will mean for this particular group of sailors. "This will be the first opportunity for this group to compete together in a major event environment. While many of the sailors know each other well and have raced together previously, this will be a new team operating in a new configuration."
Giles keeps expectations for the Naples outing measured, his thinking anchored to the longer arc of the campaign. "The Naples regatta is a really important building block for us. We want to continue developing the way we work together, continue learning and continue improving. Everybody involved is more than capable, but we're still at the beginning of the journey as a group."
Results matter, but they are not the only measure of success on offer. "Of course, we'll be aiming to perform strongly, but the real value will come from the experience we gain and the foundations we put in place for the months ahead. Hopefully we'll come away having taken another step forward as a team and with a clear platform to build on as we move towards full AC75 operations."
