CUP BLOG: ATHENA PATHWAY OPENS SELECTION PROCESS
There was much talk in Naples recently at the Palazzo Reale in Naples about the pathways into the America’s Cup with many past participants of the Youth & Women’s America’s Cup events from 2024 in attendance – now as key people in the senior teams for 2027.
Hannah Mills OBE is arguably the most famous and decorated of those sailors having achieved at the Olympic level before going on to outstanding global foiling success in 2025 having come so close to winning the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup for Great Britain in 2024.
As Team Principal of the Athena Pathway Programme, Hannah officially opened applications at the Teams Presentation at the Palazzo for their Youth Squad that are set to compete in the Youth America’s Cup in Naples in 2027.
Athena Pathway’s Youth America’s Cup Programme, supported by Cobham Ultra, sits at the heart of the team’s high-performance development framework and is designed to identify, assess, and develop British talent with the potential to compete in the Youth America’s Cup, while also supporting progression into professional maritime careers.
The programme, since its launch ahead of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, has been wildly successful in identifying new talent such as Youth Trimmer Matt Beck who is now part of the APP sailing operations, Youth Team Helm Nick Robins who is working as a data analyst and Ellie Aldridge who has been promoted to a full-time member of the APP Women’s Team.
The programme focuses on developing the sailing, technical, and teamwork skills required for AC40 race boat performance, while also acting as a genuine feeder into senior high-performance opportunities, including the British Women’s and Senior America’s Cup teams.
Hannah said: “We are very excited to open the selection process for Athena Pathway Youth America’s Cup Programme, supported by Cobham Ultra. We came so close to the top of the podium for both the Women’s and Youth teams last time, and it definitely feels like unfinished business. We are looking forward to nurturing the next generation of British sailing talent and creating clear pathways into high-performance sailing both on and off the water.”
“The America’s Cup’s renewed commitment to the Women’s and Youth events is hugely important for our sport. It helps create pathways for future generations of sailors, something we have championed through Athena Pathway over the last five years, and it showcases that the top end of our sport is inclusive and forward-focused.”
The pathway to the elite end of sailing has never been clearer nor more defined and full details of the Athena Pathway Programme can be found HERE
Magnus Wheatley