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Defender:

Golden Gate YC  San Francisco, USA

Oracle Team USA  (formerly Oracle Racing, formerly BMW Oracle Racing)
After fielding a mind-boggling three-hulled wing-masted rocketship to wrest control of the trophy and the event, Oracle (formerly BMW Oracle) returns to their San Francisco home in what appears a position of great strength.  The James Spithill (Luna Rossa '07, OneWorld '03, Young Australia '00) is likely to continue as Helmsman and possibly Skipper under the umbrella of four-time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts.  Coutts has publicly said he is evaluating his own role within the team for the 34th Defense.  Though Coutts would probably continue his duties as CEO of the team, with a particular focus on technology and crew development, he has not committed yet to any specific duties.  It was announced in late December 2010 that automotive manufacturer BMW would end their eight-year-long sponsorship, and the team is now known as Oracle Racing. 
Oracle Team USA 2013 America's Cup Site | Team Blog (inactive but online)

Other Defender Candidates:
See Cam Lewis entry below.

Background:
Golden Gate YC is the 34th Defender of the America's Cup. The club was represented in 2007 and 2010 by BMW Oracle Racing (now Oracle Racing).  From the earliest defense of the America's Cup until the trophy was defended by Royal New Zealand YS in 2000, the defending club's practice was to hold trials among several yachts or teams to select the best to represent them, and not incidentally to train and tune the defender candidates in the process.  In 2000 and 2003, defender Team New Zealand, representing Royal New Zealand YS, held "in-house" contests between their own two boats and crews, but RNZYS did not field independent competitors to vie for the role of defender, meaning no formal defense trials were held.  In 2007, Alinghi followed the same pattern.  For Alinghi's intended defense in 2009, the absence of an arm's length defender was the logic that the team attempted to employ to justify the defender competing against the challengers during their selection series, an intention that met with heated objection from challengers and America's Cup fans alike.  Oracle Racing has stated that they are encouraging participation of additional Defender Candidates from the US to compete against them for the role of representing Defender Golden Gate YC, and Oracle Racing has said repeatedly since winning the Cup that in any case the Defender will not race in the Challenger Selection Series.

Officially Accepted Challengers:

Notices of Challenge from additional teams were accepted from November 1, 2010 until March 31, 2011.

New Challengers for 2013:

Artemis Racing | Royal Swedish YC (Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet) SWE
This is a new team, but led by America's Cup veteran Paul Cayard as CEO and accompanied by crew list deep in experienced Cup sailors, Artemis is anything but a newcomer to the top level of the sport.  Backed by Torbjörn Törnqvist, team Chairman and a co-founder of oil company Gunvor Internationl B.V., in fall of 2010 Artemis  recruited top-name design and engineering staff, too.  Designer will be Juan Kouyoumdjian (BMW Oracle '07, Prada '03, Le Defi '00-'95), boatbuilder Killian Bushe, plus Santiago Lange, and three-time America's Cup winner Tom Schnackenberg (TNZ '00-'95, Australia II '83).  Active in the WSTA, indeed with Cayard serving as the association's first President, Artemis raced at the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas in Nice, Auckland, La Maddalena, and Dubai.  Artemis also maintained an Audi MedCup team through 2010, winning the Championship in their 2007 debut and finishing fourth, third, and fifth in the last three years, but appears set to shift their focus to the America's Cup, dropping the MedCup activities in the 2011 season and competing in the multihull Extreme Sailing Series instead.  Terry Hutchinson will Skipper for the ESS, and is expected to be the skipper on the team's America's Cup catamarans.  The team trained in Florida on two Extreme 40 catamarans, as seen in this photo gallery.  Törnqvist worked closely with Russell Coutts, now Oracle CEO, in 2007 to get Artemis Racing's MedCup campaign off on the right track, along with leadership from Oracle's John Kostecki.  In addition to helming duties for Cayard, Terry Hutchinson (ETNZ '07, Stars&Stripes '03, AmericaOne '00), and Cameron Appleton (K-Challenge '04-'05 LVA, ETNZ '00-'95), Törnqvist has also been at the wheel of the MedCup boat.  The team submitted their Notice of Challenge on November 1, 2010, the first day possible (and apparently was the first to do so), and Artemis held a Press Conference November 8 in Stockholm to detail their plans.  Replay of the webcast is available from Artemis and at the America's Cup web site.  With the resignation of Mascalzone Latino, per the provision of the Protocol for the 34th Defense of the America's Cup Artemis will automatically step into the role of Challenger of Record.  Key additions: Terry Hutchinson; Iain Percy, late of Team Origin, as tactician.  Artemis Team Site and Twitter Feed

Emirates Team New Zealand | Royal New Zealand YS  NZL
On April 21, Grant Dalton, CEO of ETNZ, finally gave official confirmation of the team's commitment to challenge for the 2013 America's Cup, also announcing a $36M NZD contribution ($28.6M USD/€19.8M) from the NZ government, and the addition of Nespresso as sponsor, joining name sponsor Emirates Airlines, Toyota New Zealand, and Omega watches.  Read Stories at NZ Herald and Stuff.co.nz

Budget overall for 2013 appears to be in the $150M NZD ($80-85M USD) range, based on comments by Dalton that the government's portion of the budget is less than 20% of their total funds.  Dalton also pointed out that even with the other partners, the Nespresso sponsorship was critical, and that the team had only stayed in business with the help of several private benefactors. See ETNZ Afloat at Last at NZ Herald

ETNZ had been an official entrant since November, 2010, with their paperwork in place and an initial entry fee paid for the 2013 event, though publicly Dalton said only that a final decision would be made in early 2011 once the team had done further due-diligence, and ETNZ did not even formally admit their official status until March.  Dalton believed the budget for a challenge would be about the same level as ETNZ spent in Valencia last time, though also telling the NZ Herald in October that "We might be wrong about that, so we still have work to do before we make a decision."  

The team said March 16, 2011, that Emirates Airlines would continue to sponsor the team.  The sponsorship announcement, coming at the same time that ETNZ took delivery of their AC45 yacht seemed to clinch their plans for 2013, yet publicly Dalton again hedged about the team's intentions and a full commitment still awaited: "In the meantime we are developing the sailing team; the design team is working through concepts for the AC72 catamaran and we are continuing meeting with several potential sponsors," said Dalton.  Securing sufficient funding seemed a reason for hesitation in declaring their 2013 challenge, along with considerations that response to the Christchurch earthquake of February, 2011, could affect the government's financial support for the team.

After GGYC on New Year's Eve 2011 named San Francisco as the location for the 2013 America's Cup, Dalton explained that the choice suited his team well, and the status of ETNZ's entry now depended on finding suitable sponsorship by March 31.  See "Dalton Happy with Cup Venue" at NZ Herald

Despite public statements that the team had yet to decide about a challenge, Paul Cayard mentioned in the January 2011 issue of Seahorse magazine that the Kiwis had actually filed their challenge in November, and Oracle Racing members said in late January that TNZ was in line to receive one of the early AC45's, which is a privilege only of officially accepted teams.  ETNZ in February attended official Competitor Forums intended for confirmed teams, settling the issue for most Cup observers. See story at Sail-World

Also notwithstanding the official position, four French multihull design experts, Guillaume Verdier, Hervé Penformis, Romaric Neyhousser, and Benjamin Muyl, agreed in fall 2010 to join the Kiwi team, according to a report at Voiles et Voiliers.  In October, 2010, Magnus Clarke, wingsail designer from the I4C (aka "The Little America's Cup"), was said to sign on with ETNZ, along with Steve Killing, designer of the C-Class cat Canaan which Clarke campaigned to win the 2010 event.  In April, 2011, the presence of Gino Morelli and Pete Melvin on the design staff was formally acknowledged, too. Read more at Sail-World

ETNZ not only has the longest record in the America's Cup of any active team, but preceding 2010 the Kiwis were the Defender or Challenger in the previous four Matches stretching back to San Diego in 1995, and they narrowly missed becoming the challenger in 1992.  Hurt by the departure of many key team members following the 2000 Defense, and underachieving against Alinghi in 2003's heart-breaking loss of the Cup, ETNZ brought in Grant Dalton to put their efforts back on track for 2007.  With Dalts as Managing Director, ETNZ won the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup to become the 32nd Challenger.  They took two races from the Defender, and nearly won a third. 

The sailing side has been hard at work, too, on the transition to catamarans.  Dean Barker sailed a multihull ETNZ entry in an Extreme Sailing Series (ESS) regatta in Almeria, Spain, in October, 2010.  While the team said at the time that although that regatta was a helpful learning experience, they had no plans at that time to race Extreme 40s in 2011.  TNZ eventually did decide to enter an ESS team with Dean Barker (Skipper), Glenn Ashby (Tactician), James Dagg (Trimmer), and Jeremy Lomas (Bowman).  ETNZ also has picked up sponsor Camper to fund a Volvo Ocean Race campaign for 2011-2012, a parallel program to their America's Cup effort that is intended to help keep the team's design and sailing staff sharp.  Key staff includes: Dean Barker as Skipper (since 2000), Adam Beashel as Strategist.  Significant changes since 2007: Added Ray Davies as Tactician.  Notable Departures: Hamish Pepper, tactician.  ETNZ's America's Cup record: Challenger (won 5-0), 1995; Defender (won 5-0), 2000; Defender, 2003 (lost 0-5); Challenger, 2007 (lost 2-5).  Emirates Team New Zealand Blog | ETNZ America's Cup Team Site

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Resigned:

Mascalzone Latino | Club Nautico di Roma ITA (Original Challenger of Record for 2013)
Team President and Sponsor Vincenzo Onorato was a staunch and outspoken supporter of BMW Oracle during the legal and public relations battles that took place between the American team and the former defender from 2007-2010.  Onorato was particularly concerned about maintaining the special character of the regatta and respecting its traditions and history while maintaining good sportsmanship in the modern era, making CNdR and Mascalzone's acceptance as Challenger of Record a natural step for the 34th America's Cup.  The team was active at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Regattas, led by Gavin Brady, with an afterguard including Morgan Larson, Flavio Flavini, and Cameron Dunn, among others.  Audi has been a sponsor of Mascalzone's LVT entry, and may continue to do so for the America's Cup.  Sadly, Mascalzone Latino resigned from the 2013 America's Cup on May 12, 2011, citing difficulty securing the budget they believed they needed to be a competitive challenger. Read Letter from Vincenzo Onorato explaining their resignation. Masclazone Latino Team Web Site

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Challenger Candidates from 2007:
 

Luna Rossa Challenge (Prada) | Yacht Club Punta Ala ITA
See Luna Rossa entry above under Officially Accepted Challengers.

Areva/K-Challenge
See All4One entry below.
 

Desafío Español  ESP
Competed in the Audi MedCup in 2009, but has not been recently active as an America's Cup team.
 

+39 Challenge | Circolo Vela Gargnano ITA
"Piu Trentanove" was not active as a team in recent years and was not expected to challenge again. Their ACC yacht was for sale as of late 2010.  Named for the international telephone code for Italy, (formerly Clan Des Team).  A persistent and unconfirmed rumor was that another group associated with CVG was interested in a multihull challenge, which turned out to be true (see Green Comm Challenge).
 

Victory Challenge | Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap SWE
The Swedish team has been quiet since 2007, though they did submit an entry for the aborted 2009 regatta. Team Site (offline)
 

Shosholoza (South African Challenge) | Royal Cape YC RSA
Captain Salvatore Sarno, the principal of this crowd-pleasing team, told an Italian audience in mid-December 2010 that they would not be a challenger for the 2013 America's Cup, according to a report (in Italian) at Zerogradinord.it.  Team Site (offline)
 

UITG | Deutscher Challenger YC GER
United Internet Team Germany has not been active since 2007, and contracts with crew and staff were reported to have expired in 2008.  A statement was issued October 5, 2010, that they would not be a challenger for 2013.  The team's web site appears to be closed to the public.
 

China Team | Qindao International YC CHN
Had not been active in the America's Cup since 2007, but China returns to challenge for 2013 with an announcement on March 28, 2011, that their Notice of Challenge has been officially accepted.  See China Team Entry above
 

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Hopefuls: Potential New Challenger Hopefuls for 2013 or Beyond:

Active:

Ben Ainslie Racing | Royal Cornwall YC GBR
When Team Origin, billed as the British America's Cup Team, pulled the plug in October 2010, two reasons were cited either directly or in press reports: money and the commitments that key sailing team members including Ben Ainslie had to 2012 Olympic campaigns.  Ainslie, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, had been Team Origin's skipper and helmsman.  On January 6, 2012, advance word came from "Ben Ainslie Racing" of an upcoming press conference and web broadcast on January 10, to announce the sailor's "post-Olympic" plans.  Images of an Ainslie-liveried AC45 and associated video also turned up around the web.  Speculation ran from the launch of an entire new British challenger to just Ainslie launching a team to compete in the AC45 catamarans, but not the America's Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup, which is permitted under the rules.

A story January 9, 2012, by Kate Laven at The Telegraph said instead that Ainslie will be joining Oracle Racing, but competing on his own AC45 to possiblly flush out backing for a full-on challenger campaign in the following America's Cup.  On January 10, 2012, at his press conference Ainslie confirmed that he has signed with Oracle for the 2013 America's Cup and is not mounting his own independent challenge this time around, but is looking to do so for the 35th Defense.  Ainslie will race an AC45 yacht in the America's Cup World Series, beginning in San Francisco in August, 2012, and play a role in Oracle's defense of the America's Cup.

Starting a new challenge effort seemed a pretty difficult task at this late point in the America's Cup cycle, but with enough money and some shared design efforts, as permitted for this edition of the Cup, it wasn't impossible to put a boat on the starting line.  The return of a British team to America's Cup racing would probably have been a welcome sight for fans and organizers alike, but considering that Ainslie's Olympic plans run into late summer, a very capable management organization would have had to be in place almost instantly, and if Ainslie was to skipper, he would have had half the multihull racing time his competition did.  As for building a new AC72, being competitive against teams that have 12-15 months head start in a 30-month window, and will be launching boats this summer, really isn't in the cards.  Ainslie said as much at his press conference: "Have to be very clear we have absolutely no intention whatsoever of competing as a challenger for the 34th Americas Cup, you know it's just not realistic in the timeframe that we have in terms of putting the team together, designing and building an AC72."

Funding for the AC45 effort is coming from Larry Ellison, according to Ainslie, and based on his press conference comments is at least in the €3 million per season range.  BAR will be representing the Royal Cornwall YC, which Ainslie has been associated with since he was a junior sailor.  Details of who will crew with Ainslie on the BAR AC45, and Ainslie's function within Oracle's defense activities will be forthcoming.

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Formerly Active:

All4One (formerly Areva/K-Challenge) | Cercle de la Voile de Paris/Kieler Yacht-Club  FRA/GER
All4One added Jochen Schümann (Alinghi '07-'03, Fast 2000 '00) as Skipper, who had been a mainstay of the 2003 and 2007 Alinghi teams before departing to field a German team that tried to get off the ground following the 2007 Cup.  Schumann also brought Matti Paschen, Michael Muller with him from "Team Germany", not to be confused with United Internet Team Germany or Audi Sailing Team Germany, all of which are separate entities.  All4One was active in the WSTA Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas, finishing third in La Maddalena and fifth in Nice and Auckland.  A4O also participated in the Audi MedCup circuit in 2010.  Since 2007, All4One has also included John Cutler, and Sébastien Col (Areva '07, Le Defi '03-'00) on the helm.  Said to be considering an Extreme40 catamaran campaign for 2011 to build multihull skills.  Stéphane Kandler is Managing Director, has mentioned feasibility of a one-boat campaign for €36 million budget. 

The last week of January 2010, All4One announced a three-year sponsorship from Audi for their MedCup TP52 campaign, to be known as "Audi Sailing Team powered by All4One", but so far has given no specifics of their America's Cup plans, if any.  The team is affiliated with two yacht clubs in two countries, Cercle de la Voile de Paris and Kieler Yacht-Club, which will likely have to be resolved when they enter the 2013 Cup, and most recent signs point to Germany being the most probable.  Reports in late March suggested that sponsorship was in place and an official announcement could be imminent, but the news turned out to involve other racing and though leaders still talk of making an eventual tilt at the America's Cup, the team's near-term focus now looks to be elsewhere.  Areva was a Challenger Candidate for the 2007 America's Cup.  All4One Team Website

Synergy Russian Sailing Team RUS
Coming to the LVT from the Audi MedCup circuit, Synergy put the experienced Karol Jablonski behind the wheel of an America's Cup Class yacht for the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas and placed second in La Maddalena (losing only 2-3 to ETNZ in the Final) and third in Nice, beating Team Origin.  Founded by Valentin Zavadnikov, and backed by a group of Russian businessmen, the team includes America's Cup veteran Josh Belsky in addition to a largely Russian crew.  Karol Jablonski was no longer helming the boat in October 2010, at the Audi MedCup Calgiari, and some observers were quick to interpret this as a sign that Synergy would not be a challenger for the 2013 America's Cup.  However, Synergy backer Mikhail Tuzov accepted a position on the board of America's Cup Race Management (ACRM) through at least May 31, 2011, indicating the Russian team is working on a challenger campaign, which is what Maxim Logutenko, Team Manager, confirmed in an interview with Sailing World in early October.  The team also plans to continue their Audi MedCup program in 2011.  Synergy backers hope to have a 2011 or 2012 America's Cup regatta held in Russia.  No word yet on which yacht club Synergy would represent.  Notable departure: Karol Jablonski, to Argo Challenge.  Synergy Team Web Site
 

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Red Maple Racing | Royal Canadian YC CAN
Rumors grew louder at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Dubai in late November that a Canadian challenger might be returning to the America's Cup after a more than 20-year absence for the northern sailors.  On December 1, the Toronto Star reported that members of three Canadian yacht clubs were exploring the prospects of a combined America's Cup challenge for 2013.  Royal Canadian YC would be the challenging club, but cooperation from Royal Halifax YS and Royal Vancouver YC is part of the campaign.  Backed by a group including investment banker Kevin Reed, serving as Chair of RMR, and including Paul Henderson, a former head of ISAF, the team's initial talk was of a budget in the $30-45 million range (presumably Canadian dollars).  The intent is for a true national effort with an all-Canadian crew.  The organizers set a period of 60 days to firm up their feasibility evaluations, but there has been no public announcement of their direction.

Additional Teams:
Twenty-four teams sent representatives to a meeting in Paris, France, on October 22, 2010.  Said to represent a combined 13 countries, the teams met with America's Cup Race Management (ACRM) and Event (ACEA) officials, who provided supporting information while the prospective teams worked on firming up their funding and staffing in hopes of becoming official challengers.  Although identities were kept confidential at that early stage, after the meeting Iain Murray, Regatta Director for ACRM, told Sail-World that the potential teams were primarily European, with an Asian contingent, too, but no Australian group attended.  The French sailing site Voiles et Voilers reported that there were representatives from Italy, Spain, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, and Switzerland, which list appears to vary slightly from ACRM's report.

Rumored, Hinted, Imagined, Rejected, or Denied:

Potential Additional Defender Candidates:

Cam Lewis
Multihull expert Cam Lewis was working on organizing a second defender team, The Daily Sail reported in mid-October, 2010.

Africa Diaspora Maritime
Headed by Charles M. Kithcart, ADM submitted an application in March, 2011, seeking to become a Defender Candidate.  GGYC sent a letter April 15, 2011, notifying ADM that their application had been rejected.  In December, 2011, ADM filed a lawsuit claiming that their application had been rejected unfairly, and alleging various transgressions by GGYC.  GGYC for their part, pointed out that under the Protocol for the 2013 America's Cup, Article 8.3 allows them to review the applications of prospective Defender Candidates and accept those that it is satisfied have the resources necessary to have reasonable chance of winning a defender's series.  Further, nothing in the Deed of Gift requires GGYC as Defender to consider multiple Defender Candidates or to hold a selection series for choosing their representative to defend the Cup.  A series of filings in the court case building toward a hearing June 27, 2012, produced the usual tangle of claims and counter-claims, some focusing on arcane legal issues, and others staking out grossly varying interpretations of events and intentions. 

ADM asked the court for a list of remedies including: delaying the 2013 America's Cup to allow them time to design and build their boat; a defender series against current GGYC representative Oracle Team USA applying competition penalties against Oracle; financial damages from GGYC in excess of $1,000,000 USD; GGYC providing at least two AC45 yachts, valued in the millions of dollars, for ADM's use in ACWS competition; changes to the event organization for the America's Cup; and removal of GGYC as the Trustee (that is the Defender) of the America's Cup. 

GGYC in turn characterized ADM's suit as based on misapprehensions of the rights of a foreign Challenger as compared to a US team that might sail on behalf of the defending US yacht club.  While the Protocol gives GGYC no right to reject an intended challenging yacht club who fully complies with the both the 2013 entry requirements and the Deed of Gift, GGYC has their own discretion over who they select as their representative to defend the America's Cup and how that representative is chosen.  GGYC representatives have suggested that one of the motivations for the suit is monetary gain.  Some press reports state that funding for Kithcart's legal battle is coming from people who dislike Larry Ellison, and although Kithcart apparently confirms this scenario, he has not identified these donors. Africa Diaspora Maritime Team Site

The situation of an unaccepted would-be defender candidate disputing their status with the defending yacht club is not unprecedented.  In 1901, Thomas Lawson, despite being unaffiliated with the New York YC, built a radical but uninvited boat, Independence, with which he intended to defend the America's Cup.  The NYYC saw it otherwise.  While Lawson's situation is not identical to ADM's today, then, as now, under the Deed of Gift it was the domain of the defending yacht club to select their representative.  Read article at CupInfo: Lawson's Independence, Rockefeller, and the America's Cup

On January 18, 2013, the New York Supreme Court dismissed the case, with Justice Barbara Kapnick finding that GGYC had acted in good faith when they declined to accept ADM's application. See story at Thomson Reuters and access legal documents at NY Supreme Court Records On-Line Library (search case# 653419-2011).

Challengers:

Australia Simon Grosser
The possibility of another Ozzie team was being explored by Simon Grosser, with patronage from Sir James Hardy.
 

Mark Turner
Possible manager for a potential campaign on an aggressively leaner budget than many teams were first discussing in early Fall, 2010.  Turner thinks that a team budget even under the 36 million that All4One has floated could be competitive.  A report by Stuart Alexander at the Independent suggested this could be the nucleus of an enthusiast-centered campaign.
 

Austrian Team
Believed to have attended the October 22, 2010, competitors meeting in Paris, but no other details available at present.  Docktalk floated the idea that this challenge could involve sponsor Red Bull which supported repeat Olympic Gold Medalists Roman Hogara and Hans-Peter Steinacher as the Red Bull Extreme Sailing Team in the multihull Extreme Sailing Series.  The Austrian pair also helped James Spithill prepare for BMW Oracle Racing's 2010 America's Cup match.  They also become the point men for the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, helping to guide the selection process and encourage young teams, and in March 2013 announced they will form the core of an America's Cup World Series Team named "HS Racing" with support from Oracle.
 

Spanish Team
Reports in Spanish media in early February 2011 were that energy company Iberdrola had met with Valencian authorities in exploration of sponsoring a challenger.  Iberdrola was a sponsor of 2007 challenger Desafío Español.  Followups at El Mundo suggest that the company's interest is actually directed elsewhere and any America's Cup speculation was premature.

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Officially Declined

Unnamed Team Declined
A Notice from an unnamed entry was submitted before the March 31 deadline, and announced as one of 15 prospective entries (14 challengers plus the Defender's representative) for the 2013 America's Cup pending confirmation of their entry, but the challenge was eventually declined by Golden Gate YC after further evaluation according to Iain Murray, America's Cup Regatta Director, speaking to Sail-World in early May.  Murray did not reveal the reason for this decision by the Defender.  Presumably some aspect of the entry did not comply with terms of the Protocol for the 34th Defense of the America's Cup or the Deed of Gift.  If the rejected team has an objection to GGYC's decision, they can appeal to the America's Cup Jury, per Protocol Article 15.4 (g).  It has not been confirmed whether the declined team was a potential challenger or was ADM, cited above.

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Officially Withdrawn:

Post-2007 Teams

Azzurra | YC Costa Smerelda  ITA
With Francesco Bruni helming and Tommaso Chieffi as Tactician, this Italian team looked tough and competitive in the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas, taking first place in Nice, and third place in Auckland.  They decided, though, not to compete in the 2013 America's Cup.  Team Statement: Riccardo Bonadeo, President of Consorzio Azzurra and Commodore of Yacht Club Costa Smeralda: "Consorzio Azzurra is currently assessing the most viable strategy to ensure the continued growth and development of the team following the re-launch of the historic brand and our successful participation in the Louis Vuitton Trophy events of 2009 and 2010.  While a range of international races and circuits are under examination, at the moment it would be difficult to foresee the [Yacht Club Costa Smeralda] participating in the 34th America’s Cup.  Together with the rest of the international sailing community, we sincerely hope that the new protocol will lead to a fair, innovative and successful edition of the event."  Team Site

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Argo Challenge
Christian Giannini, Argo Executive Director, disclosed to Scuttlebutt Sailing on May 4, 2011, that Argo would not be a challenger for the 2013 America's Cup.  Argo was still seeking to create an affiliation with the event in another manner, though nothing official was announced.  This team initially emerged as the 2007 America's Cup was ending, having purchased the 12-meter yacht "French Kiss" (12 F-7), and beginning to assemble a team including disabled sailors.  In fall 2010 they re-affirmed their intent to challenge, this time in multi-hulls.  The team attended the 2013 America's Cup challenger forums in Paris and Dubai in the fall of 2010, and said that they intended to pursue a challenge for 2013.  Skipper is Lars Grael, two-time Olympic medalist and world champion, and brother of sailor Torben Grael; Antonio Spinelli is president of Argo Challenge.  Helmsman Karol Jablonski (Desafío Español, 2007) joined Argo on Feb 24.  Other staff include Ashley Tobin and Mark Hillman.  Read Press Release announcing 2013 Challenge.  Argo has support from IFDS, the International Federation for Disabled Sailing.  In Janaury, 2011, Argo reported that they were scouting San Francisco and working to sign sponsors.  Also, see Team Video and Team Site and read Press release from 2008 regarding Argo at the Rolex Maxi Challenge and the Paralympics.

TeamOrigin | Royal Thames Yacht Club  GBR
This team debuted on the America's Cup landscape just before the 2007 America's Cup Match took place, and despite never having raced at that point, was an early bet to become Challenger of Record when the Swiss beat ETNZ in late June and July.  Alinghi instead chose a compliant local Spanish team as their Challenger of Record, running afoul of the requirements of the Deed of Gift.  Sir Keith Mills, Origin's leader, spent much of the next three years supporting the Defender's position, dismissing complaints of an unfair rules protocol that had most of the existing America's Cup teams inflamed, and saying that he would have signed the same agreement the Spanish did since his priorities were on the commercial opportunities.  Origin purchased one of Alinghi's former ACC yachts (SUI-75, their second 2003 boat which had been converted by Alinghi to the latest version of the class rule) for training and development, and signed several top British sailors to form the nucleus of their America's Cup challenge, including Ben Ainslie as skipper.  In May, 2010, Origin picked up Grant Simmer from Alinghi, where he had been Managing Director and Design Coordinator, to become the British CEO replacing Mike Sanderson.  Read Simmer Signing Announcement

Origin was a competitor in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February 2009 and its follow-on, the Louis Vuitton Trophy Series held in 2009 and 2010.  In late July, 2010, they announced a sponsorship agreement had been signed with Jaguar.  As recently as August, 2010, TeamOrigin hosted BMW Oracle Racing in the 1851 Cup, sailing around the Isle of Wight to honor the original yacht squadron event that set the America's Cup in motion.  Outside of the America's Cup and LVT realm, the team competed in the Audi MedCup series, and raced in Valencia at the Trofeo Desafío Español which was advertised as the annual regatta of the Spanish yacht club formed to play the role of Challenger of Record for Alinghi.  Origin's name was chosen as an allusion to the British heritage of the America's Cup, not just in the respect of England being the site of the first race for the trophy in 1851 (before it even became America's Cup), but also recalling that the RTYC was history's very first challenger in 1870.

However, on October 1, 2010, Team Origin announced that they would not enter the coming America's Cup.  Mills cited doubts about the commercial prospects for the team.  Not mentioned, though likely, contributing factors appear to be the conflict between Ben Ainslie's campaign for the 2012 London Olympic Games and the demands of a 2013 America's Cup match, and perhaps just as critically the lure of the Olympics for potential British sponsors of sailing.  The expected learning curve for multihulls, given the team's largely monohull-centered expertise, may have played a role, too, though it was also revealed in late October at Voiles et Voilers that an intended partner withdrew a €50 million sponsorship the day of the withdrawl announcement.  Team Site (unavailable)

Despite the Olympic commitments for Ainslie and other crew, in early January 2012, an announcement January 10 from Ben Ainslie Racing confirmed he will be involved the 2013 America's Cup, and will race his own AC45 entry in the America's Cup World Series.

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2007 and Previous

Additional Links and Info:

See Active 2013 America's Cup Teams