Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO of Omega: “I’m not worried about the new governance structure; it provides greater security for the America’s Cup”

In Naples, 100,000 people had gathered along the seafront and in the America’s Cup Village on 27 September, demonstrating the exceptional appeal of this competition amongst the residents of the legendary Parthenopean city. The final day of racing delivered a memorable final between Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa. Won in spectacular fashion by the Italians, the victory confirmed the supremacy of the crew led by Peter Burling and Ruggero Tita, who had already triumphed last May in Cagliari.

The seven competing teams were able to demonstrate their already extremely high sporting potential on the AC 40s. They are now focusing on performing well on the boats that will be used for the 2027 Cup, the AC 75s. Back in New Zealand, Emirates Team New Zealand, supported by Omega, immediately resumed work on its home waters in Auckland by unveiling its AC75, Taihoro, marking the start of an extensive development and preparation programme focused on speed and performance in Waitematā Harbour, which will continue until the Christmas holidays.

The 38^th America’s Cup will be innovative in several respects: whilst the boats will still be wind-powered, the crew members who used to pedal to power the hydraulic systems will be replaced by batteries. A Guest Racer slot will allow a partner, a celebrity or a spectator, amongst others, to come on board, and this is an important strategic element for the competition’s profile and experience. A budget cap has also been introduced to keep costs under control. Finally, the last crucial change: the America’s Cup is adopting a new governance structure and a new commercial strategy. Indeed, the teams are now united under a single entity, The America’s Cup Partnership (ACP), to manage the competitions more sustainably, share the economic benefits and maximise the engagement of America’s Cup fans worldwide. This development reshuffles the deck and calls into question the agreements from previous editions.

This is an opportunity to understand the issues at stake with Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of Omega, the official timekeeper of the 2027 America’s Cup and a partner of Emirates Team New Zealand since 1995.

Raynald Aeschlimann. Credibility stems from the consistency and clarity of our commitments. We have never wanted to be mere sponsors: we see ourselves as partners. In the America’s Cup, this distinction matters. Historically, a partner might not have been certain to continue if the team lost. We have been fortunate to make long-term choices and, right from the start, to meet people in whom we believed.