As few as four and as many as seven – that’s the range of potential entries that Challenger of Record CEO Ben Ainslie believes is in prospect for the 38th edition of the America’s Cup.
Speaking to a select group of sailing media last night on a Zoom call alongside Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton, Ainslie said: “I think it’s going to be anywhere between four and seven teams – that’s the reality. Of course we want all seven – that would be amazing – but we will know in the next couple of weeks.”
Less than 48 hours earlier, and after many months of behind-the-scenes wrangling and intense negotiation between the existing America’s Cup teams and other interested parties, the news broke that the long-awaited America’s Cup Partnership agreement had finally been signed by all parties.
I check-in with Tudor Team Alinghi’s director for technical and sailing, New Zealand America’s Cup veteran Dave Endean – the man in charge of making sure that in AC38 the Swiss syndicate improves on its somewhat lacklustre performance in the last Cup in Barcelona.
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