By Alexander Smith
LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) – America’s Cup organisers have extended the deadline for entries by two months to the end of March, opening up the possibility of more teams sailing in next year’s blue-riband event in Naples.
“It’s been agreed that the entry deadline is being extended to allow more time for the teams currently working hard to join AC38. The entry period has been extended to March 31,” an America’s Cup source told Reuters on Sunday.
The initial deadline for late entries had been January 31.
The five teams who have signed up to the new America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) and entered for the 38th edition of the cup, which include the defenders Emirates Team New Zealand, came together last month to announce the dates for the event.
Britain, France, Italy and Switzerland have so far all announced teams that will compete to win the right to take on New Zealand in July next year, but there have been hopes that others could still throw their hats in the ring.
New Zealand team CEO Grant Dalton, asked on the America’s Cup YouTube channel in Naples last month about the possibility of late entries, flagged one unnamed team from Australia, a potential second Italian entry in Mascalzone Latino and Riptide Racing of the United States.
Riptide Racing, led by skipper and CEO Chris Poole, announced in December that they planned to “acquire an existing America’s Cup package” which they said would give them “immediate access to proven assets, design data and infrastructure”.
The team have assembled crew members, sponsors and corporate partners but have yet to announce a formal entry.
They did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Clare Fallon)
