America’s Cup Yachts

The America’s Cup is one of the world’s most prestigious and spectacular sailing events. Often dubbed the “Formula 1 of the sea,” it stands out for its cutting-edge technology, incredible speed, and intense strategic depth. Like F1 race cars, these yachts are custom-built prototypes engineered to the smallest detail. It’s a global event that commands attention on par with elite competitions like the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Ryder Cup.
But these America’s Cup Yachts aren’t your average sailboats. They’re marvels of innovation, built to push the limits of design, performance, and human skill. Since the regatta's inception in 1851, it has evolved dramatically and so has the sophistication of the boats. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the yachts themselves, their highly valuable collectible scale models, how much an America's Cup Yacht costs, and how they work.

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America’s Cup Yachts: key facts

One of the most common questions people ask is what an America’s Cup yacht costs. While it depends on the model and edition, a top-tier AC75 yacht can easily exceed the €100 million price tag. This cost covers high-tech materials like carbon fiber, state-of-the-art navigation electronics, and an elite development team. And that’s not all, you also need to account for over 90,000 hours of design and 70,000 of construction, involving teams of engineers, naval architects, and fluid dynamics specialists.

The British team INEOS Britannia, sponsored by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who also owns the historic Manchester United football club, raised its investment to 180 million euros for the latest edition, 50 million more than the previous one held in Auckland.

In addition to the jaw-dropping costs, here are a few more fascinating facts about these yachts:

  • They don’t have engines: everything is wind-powered and crew-operated.
  • They can include electronic navigation systems and sensors, but no propulsion engines.
  • These boats can reach speeds over 50 knots (almost 100 km/h).
  • Each one is essentially a unique prototype, tailored to the team’s sailing style and strategy.

How America’s Cup Yachts actually work

The key lies in an advanced combination of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics. Unlike traditional sailboats that rely on heavy keels for balance, America’s Cup yachts use foils, retractable underwater wings that lift the hull out of the water to minimize drag. They provide dynamic stability rather than relying on weight, like a traditional keel (a longitudinal structure with lead ballast). This allows the boat to glide above the water.

Once the boat reaches a certain speed, the foils lift it clear of the surface, drastically reducing friction and enabling much higher velocities. Add to this a highly sophisticated control system operated by a highly specialized crew who manage both the sails and stability in real time.

In the current AC75 class, that energy doesn’t come from a traditional engine but from human power: crew members called grinders generate hydraulic pressure by pedaling or turning winches. This energy is used to operate the boat's systems. It maintains the sporting essence: no motors, just wind, skill, teamwork, and coordination.

Key components of how America’s Cup Yachts work:

  • Foils: retractable appendages that lift the hull above the water for maximum speed.
  • Wing-like sails: made from advanced composite fabrics and reinforced with internal structures that shape them like the airfoils of an aircraft — both flexible and highly aerodynamic.
  • Electronics: onboard sensors constantly collect data on wind, boat angle, and speed to help crews optimize every maneuver.

Traditionally, the America’s Cup has been a one-of-a-kind competition where teams representing yacht clubs face off using a single class of boat defined for each edition. For instance, in the 37th edition held in Barcelona in 2024, the class used was the AC75, a high-tech and high-speed monohull.

  • Puig Women’s America’s Cup: the women’s category, featuring the Sail Team BCN led by Olympic sailor Silvia Mas.
  • UniCredit Youth America’s Cup: a category aimed at promoting young talent in the sailing world, also represented by the same Spanish team.

Both events used AC40 class boats, smaller and more manageable than the AC75, but equally advanced in terms of technology.

Collectible scale models of America’s Cup Yachts

The Endeavour is one of the most legendary boats in America’s Cup history. Built for the 1934 race, it represented the UK and featured cutting-edge engineering for its time. Today, OcCre offers a meticulously crafted model that replicates every detail: from the elegant wooden hull to the precision metal fittings. It's a stunning piece for both novice and expert modelers.

This boat, which marked a turning point in the long and successful history of the competition, was owned by Thomas Sopwith, a renowned British aviator and engineer who applied his aeronautical expertise to the yacht’s design. This combination resulted in one of the most admired sailboats in history, which you can now begin to recreate with care and excitement.