A return to America’s Cup racing for Australia \u2013 the country that ended 132 years of US America’s Cup dominance \u2013 has long been mooted by never materialised. Until now The rumours that have swirled around the sailing community for months, that there would once again be an Australian entrant to the America\u2019s Cup, seem to have finally been confirmed.
\nAccording to an announcement sent to members of Sydney\u2019s Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club (RPEYC), and reports from Australian media outlets, the club has formally entered the 38th America\u2019s Cup, scheduled to take place in Naples, Italy, in 2027.
\nTeam Australia
\nDetails are still a little thin on the ground and we await official confirmation but it looks as though the challenge will be spearheaded by the Winning family, led by John \u2018Woody\u2019 Winning and John \u2018Herman\u2019 Winning Jr. The family are icons in the Australian sailing and business world; John Winning Jr. is the CEO of Winning Group (and Appliances Online) and a seasoned sailor who skippered the 100-footer Andoo Comanche to a line honours win in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.
\nBoth son and father have also been at the forefront of the Sydney 18ft skiff scene for many years.
\nThe Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, based in Point Piper, Sydney, will serve as the challenging yacht club. In the letter to members seen by us Commodore Sven Runow says that the challenge is a \u2018clear reflection of the strength of our Club\u2019 and aims to place Australia back at the \u2018forefront of the international stage.\u2019
\nThe team is expected to compete under the banner of \u2018Team Australia\u2019, reviving a name that carries significant weight in the competition\u2019s history.
\nJohn Bertrand\u2019s Australia II en route to historic victory in the 1983 America\u2019s Cup. Photo: Adam Stoltman \/ Alamy
\nAustralia in the America\u2019s Cup
\nAustralia\u2019s relationship with the Cup is defined by one of the greatest upsets in sporting history, followed by a long, quiet absence.
\nThe country\u2019s first challenger for the Cup came in 1962 with the 12-Metre Gretel, the first challenger to win a race against the Americans in decades. Throughout the \u201960s and \u201970s, Australian syndicates (notably those led by Sir Frank Packer and later Alan Bond) were persistent challengers, though they again repeatedly fell short against the mighty New York Yacht Club.
\nThe pinnacle of Australian sailing came in 1983. Representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club, John Bertrand\u2019s Australia II \u2013 featuring a revolutionary (and top-secret) winged keel designed by Ben Lexcen \u2013 defeated the American defender, Dennis Connor\u2019s Liberty.
\nThe 4-3 series victory ended the longest winning streak in sports history (132 years). It remains a cultural touchstone in Australia, famous for Prime Minister Bob Hawke\u2019s quote: \u201cAny boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum.\u201d
\nAustralia hosted the defense in Fremantle in 1987 \u2013 often cited as one of the pinnacle AC regattas in history \u2013 but the trophy was won back by Dennis Conner and the Americans (inspiring the Hollywood movie Wind). Following that loss, Australian involvement began to wane as the costs of the competition skyrocketed.
\nIt has been 25 years since a formal Australian challenge actually made it to the starting line of an America\u2019s Cup, although Andoo Team Australia fielded AC40 entries in the Youth and Women\u2019s America\u2019s Cup in Barcelona in 2024.
\nThe last official Australian challenge was the \u2018Young Australia\u2019 syndicate in the 2000 America\u2019s Cup in Auckland. This may not have been a succesfull challenge but it did kickstart the illustrious America\u2019s Cup career of then-young skipper, Jimmy Spithill.
\nSince then, while Australian sailors and designers have featured heavily in the winning teams of the USA, Switzerland, and New Zealand, but there has been no flag-bearing Australian team. However, Australian talent still sits at the very forefront of the professional racing scene and the continuing success of Tom Slingby\u2019s Australian-flagged SailGP team will, presumably, not have gone unnoticed.<\/p>\n
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A return to America’s Cup racing for Australia \u2013 the country that ended 132 years of US America’s Cup dominance \u2013 has long been mooted by never materialised. Until now The rumours that have swirled around the sailing community for … <\/p>\n