Tom Slingsby, Olympic gold medallist and SailGP winning skipper, will sail with American Magic for the 37th America’s CupAustralian sailor Tom Slingsby has signed with the American Magic team for the 37th America’s Cup.Slingsby, who has won Olympic Gold in the Laser class, the 2013 America’s Cup with Oracle Team USA, multiple World Championships, and back-to-back victories in SailGP, sat out the last America’s Cup but is widely considered to be one of the most talented helmsmen and tacticians in the world.He will return with the American Magic team, representing the New York Yacht Club, for the 37th America’s Cup, which will be sailed off Barcelona, Spain, in autumn 2024.“I’m extremely excited to return to the America’s Cup arena,” says Slingsby. “The AC75s are remarkable craft, and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help our team in their quest to bring the trophy back to the United States and the New York Yacht Club. We’ve got world-class talent on board the boat and backing us on the shore, I’m proud and excited to be a part of it.”Slingsby is understood to have a US passport, enabling him to compete for the American team despite the strict nationality rules applied in the latest America’s Cup Protocol. He has previously spoken out against the nationality rule, telling Yachting World last summer: “If they’ve only got four entries in the America’s Cup, that means if you’re not part of one of those four countries, you can’t compete. And I just think that’s not fair.“If you’re from anywhere in the world – Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, anywhere – and you’re an unbelievable sailor, you should have the opportunity to compete in the America’s Cup. If you’re from France or Austria and you’re one of the top sailors in the world you should get that chance.”
Source: RG Richardson City Guides – Author (1K+)
