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Japan Today
12-08-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
New America's Cup protocol sees female sailors, battery power in seismic change for the Auld Mug
yachting By STEVE McMORRAN New rules for the America's Cup sailing regatta announced Tuesday have been described as a seismic moment for the historic event and the 'boldest change in 174 years of the Cup.' Crews competing in the 38th Cup regatta in Naples, Italy in July of 2027 will comprise five members, including at least one woman. Under new criteria, at least two members of each crew, including a female, must be nationals of each team's country of origin. Each 76-foot America's Cup boat will also carry a sixth 'guest' crew member who could be a celebrity, influencer, media representative or sponsor. The America's Cup will now be contested every two years and the protocol or governing document for the event now establishes a system of governance under which all competing teams will have equal responsibility for organizing the event on and off the water and for the control of media and commercial rights. Most functions of the boats will now be powered by batteries, rather than the brute strength of their crews. The moves to modernize the Cup have mostly been well received by competitors and key shareholders. 'As the founding Trustee of the America's Cup, we are completely supportive of the move to modernize the oldest sporting trophy in the world,' said Jay Cross, commodore of the New York Yacht Club. The NYYC was the first to win the America's Cup when its schooner America — from which the trophy takes its name — beat 15 yachts representing Britain's Royal Yacht Squadron in a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. The United States held the trophy until 1983, when the challenger Australia II ended the streak. Team New Zealand has dominated the recent regattas. 'As the three-time successive winner and defender of the America's Cup and along with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron as current Trustee, we feel the responsibility to continue to drive the growth of the America's Cup event,' Team New Zealand chief executive Grant Dalton said. 'Although the America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport and the pinnacle of sailing, its Achilles heel has always been its lack of continuity," he said. "So this transformation now gives all teams collective stewardship and we are introducing a new executive management team to be headed up by a new independent CEO.' In a move to contain costs, a cap of 75 million euros ($87 million) has been imposed on each team competing in 2027. Teams returning from the last America's Cup will be required to retain the same hulls while new teams will have to either acquire an AC75 hull or build to the same specifications. 'This is a seismic moment for the America's Cup,' Athena Racing team principal Ben Ainslie said. Athena Racing is the Challenger of Record which develops the protocol in partnership with the defender. 'The partnership agreement fundamentally reshapes the governance and organization of the event,' Ainslie said. 'The teams and yacht clubs share a vision to make the America's Cup more inclusive, compelling and financially sustainable. "This new model marks a unified commitment to that vision. I am excited for the future of the sport.' Tuesday's announcement follows a fractious development process for the protocol during which Athena Racing and the American and Swiss challengers criticized Team New Zealand's management of the event. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
All Blacks great Stu Wilson, known for his ebullient personality and pioneering play, dies at 70
rugby union By STEVE McMORRAN Stu Wilson, an elusive All Blacks winger whose playing style reflected his ebullient personality, has died. He was 70. Wilson's death was confirmed by New Zealand Rugby, which did not specify a cause. He died in his sleep Sunday at his home in Tauranga on New Zealand's North Island. Wilson was a natural joker whose play was many years ahead of its time. He foreshadowed the larger, stronger wingers who are now commonplace but he also had pace, balance and an ability to break tackles. Wilson scored 19 tries in 35 tests for the All Blacks which, at the time of his retirement, was the all-time record for New Zealand. That included a hat-trick of tries against the British and Irish Lions at Dunedin in 1983. He captained the All Blacks on their 1983 tour to Britain and formed a brilliant attacking partnership at provincial and international level with his fellow winger and friend Bernie Fraser. After retiring Wilson became an amusing and popular commentator for television. David Campese, an ex-Australia winger who made his test debut opposite Wilson in 1982, told Television New Zealand 'as a player, Stu made rugby look easy and earned huge respect as captain in 1983.' 'He had a swerve to beat anyone, extreme pace, intellect and power, able to break through tacklers, making him a try-scoring machine.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
