The British America’s Cup Challenger of Record, Ben Ainslie’s GB1 team, with their AC75 race boat, code-named RB4, have completed the move to Bagnoli, the America’s Cup base, situated about six miles to the west from the centre of Naples.
Following an 800km, three-day journey by road from northern Italy, where it has undergone an extensive refit. RB4 will now enter its final fit-out and commissioning phase at GB1’s Bagnoli base, with the team planning to begin sailing the AC75 on the Bay of Naples before the end of 2026.
RB4 is the same AC75 hull that raced for the British team in Barcelona at the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, where the team made history by winning the Challenger Selection Series. But went down 7 – 2 in the 37th Cup Match to Emirates Team New Zealand.
At Persico Marine in northern Italy, the 75-foot foiling race boat underwent a major programme of work to reconfigure it under Nick Holroyd, Head of Design at GB1, to make the most of the the new AC75 Class Rules that govern the 38th America’s Cup in Naples in 2027.
Under new AC75 Class Rules that govern the 38th America’s Cup in Naples existing teams are required to reuse their AC75 hull from the previous edition, rather than design and build an entirely new race boat, focusing design and development on areas that can deliver the greatest performance gains.
One of the biggest changes required is the removal of the four cyclors used in Barcelona to generate hydraulic power. For AC38, the race boat’s systems will instead be powered by stored electrical energy through a specified battery system, requiring significant changes to the internal configuration, hydraulics, electronics and control systems.
The race crew is reduced to five sailors, with at least one female sailor mandated to be onboard, while a new Guest Racer position will allow an additional non-team member to experience racing onboard an AC75.
GB1 CEO Ian Walker said: “It’s a significant moment for the team to have the AC75 arrive here in Naples.The rules for this Cup mean we are reusing the same hull, but there is a huge amount of development taking place across the boat, particularly around the foils, systems and electronics.”
“Getting the boat back on the water before the end of the year will be another important milestone and the start of an incredibly important period of testing and development for us.”
First race date for the AC teams is the qualification event, the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series, which begins 22 May 2027. The actual 38th America’s Cup Match begins over the weekend of the 10-11 July 2027.
So time is of the essence if GB1 is to have any realistic chance of improving on their finish in Barcelona . . . and winning the Auld Mug.