Challengers Call For Transparency As AC38 Protocol Lags Behind Venue Announcement

The build-up to the 38th America’s Cup took a turbulent turn yesterday, as two challenger teams pushed back against the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, over last week’s announcement of Naples as the next Cup venue.

Yesterday afternoon British Challenger of Record Athena Racing – led by Sir Ben Ainslie and representing the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd. – issued a sharp statement questioning the process behind the venue selection. Citing a “concerning lack of transparency,” Athena argues that confirmation of Naples as host city is “premature, at best,” given the absence of an agreed protocol or clear competition framework for the event which is scheduled to take place in 2027.