Media Release: Monday, December 18, 2023
Australian Sailing and Team Australia Challenge are pleased to announce their intent to work collaboratively to best develop sailors for the 2024 Olympic Games and 2024 Youth and Women’s America’s Cups.
With several athletes participating in both campaigns, the two organisations will develop shared high performance plans to give Australia the best chance of multi-Podium success at both events.
Australian Sailing’s High Performance Director Iain Brambell said, “the possibility created by Team Australia Challenge gaining entry in the 2024 America’s Cup, is an outstanding opportunity for Australian sailors to glean invaluable skills and access to critically importance international competition.
Australian Sailing athletes including Finn Alexander, Lucy Copeland, Evie Haseldine, Tom Needham, Max Paul, Olivia Price, Mara Stransky, Zoe Thomson and Annie Wilmot will continue with their Paris 2024 Olympic campaigns at the same time as integrating their America’s Cup commitments.
Team Australia Challenge Director & Head of Operations Peter Wrigley said he was delighted the campaign could bring a further spotlight on the incredible capabilities of Australian sailors, many of them developed through Australian Sailing's programs - particularly the support of Olympic competitors.
The partnership will ensure Australian Sailing and Team Australia Challenge can navigate together the training and timing of campaigns for July’s Paris Olympics and the America’s Cup which will be staged in September and October 2024 in Barcelona.
“This is about maximising the opportunities and experience for Australia’s incredibly talented pool of young sailors and especially high performance female sailors as we work to build a well-planned and sustainable pathway for female sailors on the international stage. We believe that having athletes involved in Olympic campaigning and the America’s Cup will make them better sailors with a wider range of skills and is truly a competitive advantage rather than a detraction from their Olympic campaigns,” Brambell said.
Australian Sailing supports Australian sailors - some of the best sailors in the world - on their pathways to the elite level and the America’s Cup adds a further opportunity with its particular focus on bringing through youth and women to compete in the very latest foiling yachts.
A squad of 17 sailors have been selected from a national call-out and application process. They will form two teams to compete in the first ever women’s America’s Cup and the Youth America’s Cup. The campaign has installed a high tech AC40 yacht simulator in Sydney for training and will be extending its campaign to help attract, inspire and upskill a wider community of emerging Australian sailors.
Media enquiries and interviews:
Australian Sailing Head of Communications Michael Martin:
michael.martin@sailing.org.au | +61 414 823 820
Media enquiries and requests for video and images: Communications Director Carolyn Grant carolyn@teamaustraliachallenge.org | +61 407 898 727 | www.teamaustraliachallenge.com.au
About: Team Australia Challenge is the official entry in the 37th America’s Cup Youth and the first Puig Women’s Regattas. The Campaign is a not-or-profit entity managed by a volunteer board and has John Bertrand AO and John Winning as Patrons. It is supported by the Australian Sports Foundation.
