Admiral's Cup AC2 Class Preview - Offshore legends, small boats, big test
by Louay Habib / RORC 10 Jul 03:32 NZST
17 July - 1 August 2025
Admiral's Cup AC2 - Offshore legends, small boats, big test - 17th July to 1st August © Paul Wyeth / pwpictures.com
In the 2025 Admiral's Cup, AC2 features smaller boats than their AC1 team mates but the challenge is every bit as tough, if not tougher. This is where elite skill meets raw offshore endurance.
The sailors are world-class: seasoned professionals from the America's Cup, round-the-world campaigners, Olympic medallists and short-handed offshore winners.
What sets the AC2 Class apart is the greater diversity in boat design and performance racing under IRC, meaning race outcomes may vary significantly depending on the weather and sea state. Expect fireworks and some surprises.
Abracadabra (NYYC-Black Magic)
Donald Thinschmidt's Ker 43 Abracadabra from the United States will include local experts on board for the Admiral's Cup. Multiple world champion sailors Andy Beadsworth and Simon Fry will compete, and both cut their teeth in the Admiral's Cup on the same British team in 1993. British navigator Pete Selby is a Solent expert with Admiral's Cup experience. Top Canadian sailors on Abracadabra are Curtis Florence, a multiple world champion and past Rolex Sailor of the Year for Canada, as well as two-time Olympian Brad Boston.
Albator (YCF)
Phillip Frantz's NM43 Albator won class at this year's RORC Caribbean 600. The crew have sailed together for many years, Albator's crew is a tight well-honed community. Many have raced multiple times in the Solitaire du Figaro and Tour de France à la voile. Skipper Benoit Briand has competed in three America's Cups and raced on Bruno Peyron's Orange to win the Jules Verne Trophy in 2002.
AMP-lifi (RORC White)
Swan World Champion Chris Frost will race Carkeek 42 AMP-lifi with partner Elin Haf Davies. It has been Frost's dream to compete in the Admiral's Cup and he purchased AMP-lifi for the job. The former Fast40+ One Ton Cup winner Girls on Film has an all-British crew bar Irish driver Roy Darrer. Ian Southworth, a J/24 and J/70 World Champion is also one of the main drivers. Other Solent specialists include Mike Stannard and Brett Aarons. Kevin George was an integral part of the winning team on Maxi 72 Alegre and crew on Pip Hare's IMOCA Medallia for Line Honours in the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race. Mark Bartlett is a round the world sailor that has been boat captain for many winning campaigns. Much of the AMP-lifi crew come from the ageless Quarter Tonner Class, with a humour to match.
Back to Black (CYCA)
Sean Langman has raced an incredible 34 Rolex Sydney Hobarts. His modified GP42 Back to Black has Irish-born, Australia-based Gordon Maguire on board. Maguire has competed in four round the world races and won just about every major offshore race since. Maguire won the Admiral's Cup with the British team in 1989 and this year will be racing with his son Charlie. The 18-year old was not even born when the last Admiral's Cup was last held and Charlie is believed to be the youngest competitor for the 2025 edition. Langman's team on Back to Black also includes Matt Humphries, another veteran of four round the world campaigns and on board Chris Sheehan's PAC52 Warrior Won for the overall win in the 2024 RORC Transatlantic Race.
Baraka GP (Dutch Offshore Sailing Team)
The de Graff family have been racing the Rolex Fastnet Race for many generations; their Ker 43 Baraka GP is co-skippered by Dirk and Olivier de Graff. Wouter Verbraak, part of the winning Dutch team for the Admiral's Cup in 1999, is a veteran navigator for three Volvo Ocean Races. Young Dutch talent includes 49er sailors Thomas Snoek and Merle Louwinger. Graduates of the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team, run by the Royal Maas YC, are also on Baraka GP having sailed in the past on ROST Van Uden, their teammate for the Admiral's Cup.
Beau Ideal (RHKYC)
Karl Kwok's Botin 40 Beau Ideal is a brand new boat sailed by rising stars of the sailing world. Rolex Fastnet Race winners Dave Swete and Suzy Peters are among the crew. Swete has also raced in two Volvo Ocean Races and is a Match Racing World Champion. Cowes local Robbie Southwell and fellow Brit, RORC Transatlantic Race winner, James Crampton seem to be on the winning boat more often than not. Three time Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup sailor Ryan Houston and two time round the world sailor Francesco Mongelli add to the experience of the team.
Callisto (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)
Aboard James Murray's GP 42 Callisto is an elite line up of international talent. Kiwi Dean Barker helmed Team New Zealand to America's Cup victory in 2000 and has since competed offshore and across the TP52 and RC44 circuits. Mike Sanderson, past Rolex World Sailor of the Year, famously skippered ABN AMRO One to victory in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race and was part of the Dutch team that won the Admiral's Cup in 1999. James Dagg, also from New Zealand, was part of Team NZ's 1995 and 2000 America's Cup wins and brings extensive experience from the TP52 and Maxi circuits. Navigator Ian Moore lives on the Isle of Wight; he is a veteran of two Volvo Ocean Races, including victory with Illbruck Challenge. Moore is a highly sought-after navigator with expert knowledge of the race area for the Admiral's Cup. Italy's Pierluigi de Felice brings America's Cup pedigree from Luna Rossa and Oracle, while Briton Nic Asher, a double 470 World Champion, is a seasoned TP52 and RC44 competitor.
Django JPK (YCCS)
Onboard Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's Django JPK 1180 is Juan Vila, widely regarded as one of the best navigators of his generation. Vila's win-list includes the America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Jules Verne Trophy - putting him into a very small sailing club. Also on Django JPK is America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race winning Dutchman Dirk de Ridder and New Zealand sailor Ross Halcrow, winner of two round the world races as well as twice lifting the America's Cup. From Olympic dinghies to top-tier offshore and match racing, Michele Ivaldi's versatility and technical brilliance have made him one of Italy's most respected and accomplished sailors. Since competing in two round the world races, German sailor Michi Mueller has been racing to victory in grand prix big boat classes.
Garm (RORC Red)
The crew on Per Roman's JPK 1180 Garm is a mixture of Swedish and Spanish sailors. The pick of the highly experienced Spaniards is Gustavo Martínez Doreste. The two-time Olympian has won multiple World Championships in one-design classes. Garm's owner Roman has twice come runner-up at the J/80 World Championships and is an IRC European champion. Garm is one of three JPK 1180s competing, all of which have been modified, which should provide a fascinating battle within the class.
Ginkgo (Bayerischer YC)
Dirk Clasen's Humphreys 39 Ginkgo was formerly Richard Matthews's Oystercatcher and while the German team is very much corinthian, the step-up to the carbon flyer was so they could compete against the best in events like the Admiral's Cup. In 2023, Ginkgo was honoured with the German Offshore Award for the most successful German sailing yacht in international offshore races.
Edelweiss (Hamburger Segel Club)
Thomas Reinecke's Millenium 40 Edelweiss has a corinthian crew that has been competing for the last 10 years, especially in the Baltic Sea but also in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Edelweiss finished the uber-windy 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race and the 2022 Roschier Baltic Race.
Jolt 6 (YCM)
Bringing serious solo and shorthanded racing experience to Pierre Casiraghi's Carkeek 40+ Jolt 6 are Boris Herrmann, and Cole Brauer. Herrmann, one of the most prominent figures in solo ocean racing and fifth-place finisher in the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe, Meanwhile, Cole Brauer is fresh off a historic finish in the Global Solo Challenge, becoming the first American woman to solo race non-stop around the world. Will Harris completes the trio of sailors from the Malizia Racing team. All from the Isle of Wight or Hampshire, multiple world champion Ben Saxton, America's Cup and round the world sailor Andrew McLean, plus tactician Tom Dawson, all stand out from an impressive crew list for the Monégasque team. Kiwi Graeme Spence raced for INEOS Team UK in the 36th edition of the America's Cup.
Nola (KSSS)
Racing on Taavet Hinrikus' MAT12 Nola, skippered by Margus Uudum will be Norwegian Aksel Magdahl with two round the world races in an impressive CV. Also on Nola is Match Racing World Champion Piotr Przybylski and Olympic Bronze medallist Hugo Rocha. Nola, designed by Mark Mills, podiumed in her debut RORC race, the 2022 Roschier Baltic Sea Race.
Sunrise IV (Royal Irish Yacht Club)
Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV is a new JPK 1180 which has been developed from the knowledge learnt from winning the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race. Along with Fastnet winner Kneen is his winning navigator Tom Cheney, plus the vast experience of 1981 Admiral's Cup winner Eddie Warden Owen. Irish sailors on board include Olympian Maurice 'Prof' O'Connell and Figarist Kenny Rumball.
X-Day (RVG)
The modified GP42 X-Day is skippered by Lars Hückstädt and is the former Fast40+ Redshift. Figarist Nick Cherry, who was the skipper of Redshift, is a former UK Match Racing Champion and has Volvo Ocean Race experience. X-Day was class runner up to Long Courrier for the 2024 Rolex Middle Sea Race. X-Day comes from the Regatta Verein Greifswald on the Baltic Sea.
With world-class sailors converging on the Solent, the 2025 Admiral's Cup promises a magnificent spectacle. For more on the teams, the stories, and the racing to come, visit the official Admiral's Cup website at admiralscup.rorc.org and #TheAdmiralsCup
AC2 Entries