After a break of more than 20 years the Admiral’s Cup returns to Cowes next summer and promises to be a breathtaking display of hi-tech racing
The long-awaited return of the Admiral’s Cup in 2025 has attracted interest from famous yacht clubs around the world. The Royal Ocean Racing Club, which celebrates its centenary in 2025, is preparing for a breathtaking event of hi-tech racing starting on 17 July next year.
Originally run in 1957, the Admiral’s Cup can be described as the Holy Grail of offshore yacht racing. The 22-year hiatus to challenge for The Admiral’s Cup has only deepened the desire to win the famous trophy. The quest has begun...
The race director for the 2025 event, Steve Cole, published the Notice of Race in April this year. ‘The document sets out the general structure of racing, containing information to allow potential competitors to make a sensible assessment of whether they wish to compete for the world famous trophy,’ he says. It confirms the dates, the IRC classes, the procedure and times for entry, and the intended programme of races. In addition it confirms rules for crew, boats and equipment.
Entry opened on 1 July. Expressions of interest and entries have already been received from Australia, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States of America.
Australia
The holders of the Admiral’s Cup, the Royal Prince Alfred YC, announced last year that they will be defending in 2025, although details of the team are still not finalised. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has also confirmed interest. The regatta is likely to feature two or more teams from Australia for the first time in the event’s history. Australia has won the Admiral’s Cup on three occasions: 1967, 1979, 2003.
Above: Eric de Turckheim’s Teasing Machine, one of the French entries, is on top form after winning two recent events.
Finland
Finland first appeared in the Admiral’s Cup in 1967 but has not competed since 1973. Now the Finns are back after a 52-year hiatus represented by Arto Linnervuo’s Tulikettu Redkik Racing Team. Infiniti 52 Tulikettu is confirmed as the big boat and sports DSS side-foils and all carbon fibre build. The Finnish team has world class sailors getting the squad up to speed including Kiwis Stu Bannatyne and Andy Meiklejohn.
France
Past RORC vice-commodore Eric De Turckheim was chair for the RORC programme and race committee when the Admiral’s Cup was announced last year. His NMD 54 Teasing Machine has undergone significant modification under the eye of team manager Laurent Pages, with spectacular results including winning the RORC Transatlantic and Round Ireland. Teasing Machine’s Admiral’s Cup partner has not been announced but it is likely to be Philippe Frantz's NMD 43 Albator. France has a long history in the Admiral’s Cup, competing in 19 editions. However, it was not until the 18th edition in 1991 that France won the trophy.
Germany
Multiple German teams are expected for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup. Teams from Germany have competed in every edition from 1963 to 1999 and Germany, with four victories, is the second most successful nation. For 2025, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) has confirmed their interest in racing. Team Ginkgo Bandits has been formed as Carl-Peter Forster’s TP52 Red Bandit and Dirk Clasen’s Humphreys 39 Ginkgo. Sailing Team Imagine from the Regatta Verein Greifswald has also confirmed an expression of interest with the TP52 Imagine owned by the Streckenbach family and Fast 40+ X-Day owned by Walter Watermann.
Above: the Admiral’s Cup is the Holy Grail of offshore yacht racing
One of the unique early entries for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup is Daniel E Baum’s Tison 48 Elida representing the Hamburger Segel-Club (HSC). Elida is wooden yacht, cold moulded with spruce and a mahogany veneer. HSC is one of the oldest and most active sailing clubs in Germany and one of the organisers of Kiel Week.
Great Britain
With nine Admiral’s Cup victories, Great Britain is the most successful nation in the history of the competition. Great Britain last won The Admiral’s Cup in 1989 with Jamarella, Juno IV and Indulgence VII.
The 2021 Rolex Fastnet-winning skipper Tom Kneen has had a new JPK 1180 custom built for the Admiral’s Cup. ‘The new Sunrise has innovations with new rudder design, deck layout and a custom rig,’ Kneen says.
There are also a number of very competitive big boats lining up for the UK team(s) including several well-proven TP52s.
Team Lion is an expression of interest from a group of world-class grand prix sailors including Matt ‘Catflap’ Cornwell. ‘The aim is helping to win back this iconic trophy for Great Britain for the first time in more than 35 years,’ Cornwell says.
Hong Kong
Karl Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste is now based in Cowes and is currently looking at options for a sister ship to race in Admiral’s Cup IRC 2. Team Manager is Gavin Brady who confirmed that Beau Geste will be competing in the 2024 IRC European Championship in Dublin this September. Hong Kong has competed in four editions of The Admiral’s Cup but is yet to win the event.
Above: the Ker 43 Baraka GP is the Dutch Offshore Sailing Team’s entry in the smaller boat class.
Ireland
The Republic of Ireland has a rich history of competing in the Admiral's Cup: 13 editions dating back to 1965. Although an Irish team has never won the glittering golden trophy, Ireland came very close in 1979. Leading the regatta going into the tragic Fastnet Race, two of the Irish boats broke their rudders, ending their challenge for victory.
The Royal Irish Yacht Club have indicated that they intend to enter a team for 2025. According to past Admiral’s Cup skipper Mark Mansfield a RIYC member has recently bought a Ker 46 which would fit the upper rating band, referring to Pete Smyth’s Ker 46 Searcher (ex-Tonnerre de Breskens). ‘The Admiral’s Cup is not your average sailing silverware,’ says Mansfield. ‘It’s pure gold in every sense.’
Italy
Teams from Italy have raced for the Admiral’s Cup consecutively from 1969-1999. An Italian team has never won, but came very close in 1991, as runner-up to France by less than one point.
Giovanni Lombardi Stronati has confirmed that Wally Racing will be competing for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The team will undoubtedly have top Italian and international talent among the crew. The two-boat YCCS teams will consist of a brand new design, the Wally Rocket 51 for the big boat and a JPK 1180 for the smaller IRC Class.
Monaco
Jolt Racing is an expression of interest sailing under the burgee of the Yacht Club de Monaco. Peter Harrison plans to race his TP52 in the big boat class and the small boat will be sailed by Pierre Casiraghi, the Prince of Monaco.
The Netherlands
A Dutch team first raced in the Admiral’s Cup in 1959 and then in consecutive editions until 1993. Finally in 1999 after 40 decades of attempts, The Netherlands won. The Dutch Offshore Sailing Team was one of the first teams to form for 2025. Composing the Ker 43 Baraka GP and Ker 46 ROST Van Uden, they will compete under the flag of the Royal Maas Yacht Club. Baraka GP, sailed by the De Graaf family, has competed in seven editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race. ROST Van Uden is a youth team (Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team) skippered by Gerd-Jan Poortman, who was part of the Dutch Admiral’s Cup winning team in 1999.
New Zealand
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has formally expressed its interest. Teams from New Zealand have competed in seven editions of the Admiral’s Cup since 1971. However, it was not until 1987 that New Zealand recorded their one and only win with Propaganda, Goldcorp and Kiwi. Details of the 2025 team are yet to be confirmed but if rumours are correct, expect a very strong and competitive team from New Zealand.
Above: the 52ft DSS foiler Tulikettu is the big-boat entry from Finland
Sweden
Teams from Sweden have competed in 12 editions of the Admiral’s Cup and are very likely to compete in 2025. Spanish/British based RORC member Per Roman is originally from Sweden and has entered his JPK 1180 Garm as an expression of interest. Niklas Zennstrom’s Team Rán has incredible pedigree both offshore (back-to-back Rolex Fastnet Race wins) and inshore (Maxi Yacht and TP52 world champion). Zennstrom’s current boats are a Carkeek 52 and a Carkeek 42. Each would fit into the rating bands for the two IRC classes. However, it is likely that the smaller boat would require significant modification to race offshore.
United States of America
The USA has won the Admiral’s Cup three times: 1961, 1969 and most recently in 1997. A significant number of teams from the USA are expected to race in 2025. The New York Yacht Club has declared that it intends to enter multiple teams. NYYC member Jon Desmond is included with the Mills 41 Final Final but he is also in negotiations to buy a PAC 52.
The TP52 Fox, owned by Victor Wild, is intent on competing but as yet has not confirmed under which club burgee.
Entry for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup officially opened on 1 July this year. The process allowed single boats to enter without having to declare their team mate. One of the stand-out boat entries is the Botin 56 Black Pearl with German sailor Stefan Jentzch at the helm. Black Pearl is at the very top of the rating band both in length and TCC and Jentzsch is a member of both the RORC and the NYYC. Black Pearl’s crew includes team manager and navigator Marc Lagesse and crew boss Paul Standbridge.
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