Australia's America's Cup campaign announces WASZP Training Partnership

Jack Ferguson took out the Australian Championship and finished in fourth place overall - 2020 Australian WASZP Championships © Harry Fisher

Australia's America's Cup campaign for the Unicredit Youth and Puig Women's regattas in 2024 has announced a supplier partnership with Australian designed foiling dinghy creator WASZP to help train our elite squad bound for Barcelona.

The WASZP is a proudly Australian-designed, one-design, high-performance foiling dinghy. Launched in 2016 by renowned designer Andrew McDougall, it emphasizes affordability and ease of use for sailors of all skill levels. Capable of hitting speeds over 25 knots, the WASZP provides an equal platform for men and women to compete and train. With over 1,700 boats and 120+ events globally per year, it serves as an ideal training platform for professional teams worldwide. Popular globally, it fosters a vibrant community that challenges norms and offers extensive opportunities for sailors of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to pursue their dreams.

The partnership, which includes the Inspire Sailfoiling Foundation, will provide essential on-water training, alongside the squad's intensive Simulator training for the AC40 racing yacht - helping provide a performance edge to preparations for these historic regattas.

Team Australia Challenge is the official entry for the Unicredit Youth and the first ever Puig Women's regattas in the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona with racing starting in September and a women's final in October amidst the main AC37 competition.

The squad of 13 sailors have been enjoying the foiling experience with access to four yachts on Sydney Harbour during their recent training block.

WASZP designer and CEO Andrew McDougall:

"To be involved as part of the Team Australia Challenge for the AC37 competition provides great excitement that we can help foster the next generation of the sport. The synergies between the brands are endless, it is exciting as an Australian brand to be aligned with an Australian Challenger in the AC space. We both push the limits of what is possible on a global stage and to provide more opportunities for men and women to compete equally is of great satisfaction and pride for WASZP and the wider community."

Marc Ablett - WASZP General Manager:

"At WASZP we have made a point of creating pathway opportunities for sailors into the professional space. We support 10+ professional teams and leagues around the globe and majority of the Youth & Women's AC37 teams are using WASZP for sailor development. To add the Australian Challenge to this list is an absolute highlight. Two fantastic Australian brands coming together to compete and challenge on a global scale is something that can not be understated. We are excited to be on this journey and we can not wait to see the sailors develop in training and be ready to challenge at AC37 in Barcelona."

This partnership would not be possible without the support of The Inspire Sailfoiling Foundation (ISF). A new foundation based out of Sydney and expanding to create a nationwide footprint. Utilising the WASZP the ISF provides opportunities for sailors to get into high-performance foiling with low barrier to entry. Championing youth and female opportunities with coaching and skill development clinics, this partnership will help accelerate the next generation of superstars in the professional space and create a lasting legacy of participation across the country.

The Youth and Women's America's Cup regattas will be raced on the exciting new one-design foiling AC40 monohull yachts that sail up to 3 times faster than the wind creating extreme conditions for the athletes who will need exceptional skills to master the racing.

Named World Sailing Boat of the Year in 2023, the AC40 races with a crew of 4, two skippers and two trimmers, reaching speeds up to 85klm an hour. The controls run on hydraulic power and lift is off twin canting T-foils and steel foil wings. The cockpit crews are literally flying on water through the unique custom sail design.

America's Cup Events provide the yachts to all 12 nations competing in the two regattas, hence many teams do not own an AC40 and the WASZP in Australia provides a tremendous opportunity to extend the foiling experience for the athletes.