Happy 2025, all!
Way back in October of what’s now last year, there was a groundbreaking event that didn’t receive a lot of notice: the first-ever Puig Women’s America’s Cup. I was totally hooked on watching the racing—though I couldn’t help a little sympathetic cringing for the less experienced teams. Hard enough to learn to sail a foiling AC40 without every mistake telegraphed around the world in real time…
The smoother teams rightly rose to the top of the leaderboard, with the two most polished sailing a winner-take-all final—a thrilling, easy-to-understand format. Afterward, I was curious: what did it take to succeed in this brand-new event? Looking at the scoreboard, it wasn’t just a bigger budget.
Figuring I wasn’t the only curious bystander, I suggested an interview of the winning skipper to Dave Reed, the editor of Sailing World. I sailed against Giulia Conti at her first Olympics, though it’s so hard now to think of this fast sailor tolerating a lead-mine Yngling. It might be an unwanted record that Guilia finished fifth in the next three Olympics, first in the 470 and then in the 49erFX. Now she’s skippering foiling boats: a career transition, as she puts it, “from a rock painted in the ocean to a boat flying on the water.”
It was great to catch up with Giulia, but Dave suggested I dig a little deeper. (He’s good at that.) So, armed with the door-opening introduction of “I’m writing an article for Sailing World Magazine,” I reached out to the skippers of American Magic and Barcelona’s own Team BCN—and gained far more perspective from their varied experiences. I also learned that English is far more efficient than Italian!
This first edition certainly opened the door, and all three skippers are optimistic about another Women’s America’s Cup—maybe even coed teams racing for the Auld Mug itself. Whatever happens next, hopefully team budgets will allow for a lot more practice time before the TV cameras go live.
Since this story is somewhat time-sensitive, Dave published it first on Sailing World’s website. For those who prefer a “real” paper version, it will be out in the spring issue—so here’s how to subscribe. And before you go, let me know what you think about this brand-new event—along with any another groundbreaking stories I need to learn more about.
Thanks for being here, and Happy New Year!
Read Women’s America’s Cup Steps Over the Threshold
