Glenn Ashby backs Australia to win America’s Cup
Australia’s first America’s Cup challenge in 27 years began with performance and design chief Glenn Ashby walking out of a boardroom without even a set of screwdrivers, Reuters reported on October 28. Despite starting from scratch in May, Ashby remains convinced his team of 60 can ready the acquired Te Rehutai yacht to win the coveted trophy in Naples next year.
Building a Contender From a Sydney Warehouse
The challenge has been a race against time since funding was signed off in March. Ashby runs operations from a Sydney warehouse where crew members train on an AC75 yacht simulator. Australia acquired the boat to fast-track preparations and focus on performance rather than undertaking an expensive new build.
The vessel is currently in New Zealand undergoing structural hull changes. Components are being shipped across the Tasman Sea from Australia before the yacht moves to an Italian base in January. The team aims to have the boat ready to sail by the end of February, roughly three months before the Louis Vuitton Cup begins in Naples.
Drawing on Past Experience Against the Odds
Ashby, who skippered Team New Zealand’s 2017 and 2021 triumphs, previously rebuilt a depleted sailing squad ahead of a successful campaign. In 2015 and 2016, his team watched rivals sail AC 50 catamarans while operating with limited funding and a skeleton crew of six. Having lived through that rebuild, he views the current Australian push as a very similar feeling.
The elite sailing crew is led by Tom Slingsby and includes other America’s Cup winners. Ashby hopes the nation will rally behind the campaign similarly to 1983, when John Bertrand skippered Australia II to victory and ended 132 years of American dominance.
Support Across the Tasman Sea
Team New Zealand has provided assistance to help Australia mount a credible challenge, including a technical design package to shorten the development curve. Ashby describes his relationship with the defenders as a second family built over 16 years, though he notes they are keeping a few things to themselves to protect their own defense.
The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup in Naples will face New Zealand in the America’s Cup match.