BREAKING NEWS – Alinghi Red Bull Racing Withdraws: Another Major Blow to the 38th America’s Cup

In an official statement released today, Alinghi Red Bull Racing announced the termination of its America's Cup campaign. The decision comes just days after the withdrawal of Ineos Britannia, opening up an unprecedented and alarming scenario for the future of the world’s most iconic sailing competition.

The statement

Despite all our efforts, we - Alinghi Red Bull Racing - have not been able to find agreement with the Defender of the America’s Cup for the future of the event. We would like to have seen more accountability, greater transparency and new opportunities to perform not only individually but as a group. That way we might all of us together could have delivered a commercially viable event capable of attracting global TV coverage, spectators, and sponsors.

So, it is with great disappointment that we have begun an orderly wind-down of the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team.

That brands that have formed that team will always be part of the America’s Cup history and the last few years have been an incredible journey. We thank every team member, every sponsor and every supporter for their belief, trust, and commitment throughout.

Comment – The 38th America’s Cup Is Falling Apart: An Edition in Deep Crisis

The withdrawal of Alinghi Red Bull Racing, announced today, comes just days after that of British challenger Ineos Britannia and casts even deeper shadows over the next edition of the America’s Cup, the 38th, scheduled for 2027. To make matters worse, Challenge of Record Athena Racing, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, is now urgently seeking new sponsorship to continue.

Adding further complications is the decision by New Zealand institutions to withdraw financial support for Auckland as a potential host city. While Athens has shown serious interest, no official confirmation has been made by the Defender regarding its selection as venue. This impasse is largely due to Emirates Team New Zealand’s expectation that the host city should cover a significant part of their campaign costs—despite revenue projections from the 37th edition in Barcelona (2024) that many consider overly optimistic.

The lack of transparency denounced by Alinghi, the regulatory uncertainty—particularly concerning nationality rules that require crews to be made up entirely of sailors from the same country—the perception of an increasingly closed and self-serving event, and the absence of a clear strategy to ensure media visibility and economic returns, are all factors that are seriously threatening the credibility of the America’s Cup itself.

From being the most iconic event in world sailing, the America’s Cup now appears more like a drifting project in desperate need of direction. More than ever, the event needs inclusive leadership, a shared vision, and a genuine willingness to engage in dialogue. But time is running out.

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