Scott takes director role at American Challenger for AC38

The announcement today that American Racing Challenger Team USA has brought in Giles Scott to take up management role at the new America's Cup outfit is a genuinely outstanding hire.

I’ve raced in the past four America’s Cups with Giles and watched him evolve from a young Finn sailor with no big-boat experience at Luna Rossa in 2012 to a sailing team manager and world-class foiling helm by 2024. 

The 39-year-old, a double Olympic gold medallist and four-time Finn Gold Cup winner, takes the role of sailing director at American Racing Challenger. He will report directly to CEO Ken Read as the new team embarks on its bid for AC38 next year.

 “I’m delighted to be joining American Racing Challenger at such an important moment for the team,” said Scott. “The America’s Cup is an incredible challenge blending fast paced racing with cutting edge technical development, making it one of the most demanding and exciting competitions in the sport. This project brings together a compelling vision, strong leadership, and a real desire to compete at the very top. 

 “I’m looking forward to working closely with Ken and the wider team to build a competitive program and ensure we’re as prepared as possible heading into the Cup.”

Giles first joined Luna Rossa in 2012 after missing out on Olympic selection to Ben Ainslie for London. He came in as a strategist alongside Francesco Bruni at tactics and Chris Draper as helm, and even in that first cycle it was clear he had an exceptional eye for detail and a real appetite to understand the technical depth of America’s Cup sailing.

We worked together again in 2017 at Land Rover BAR on the AC50. Between him and Ben Ainslie they formed a strong afterguard pairing that helped keep a boat that was often lacking outright pace consistently in the fight. Most notably, we won the America’s Cup World Series in one-design boats, where there was no performance advantage – only execution, tactics and boat handling.

That relationship continued into the AC75 for the Covid-affected 2021 Cup in Auckland, where Giles really came into his own. He was arguably the standout tactician of that campaign. Again, in a boat that wasn’t always the fastest, we went through the round robin undefeated on a highly complex racecourse under North Head, where decision-making mattered more than raw speed.

He was then promoted to sailing team manager at Ineos Britannia for AC37, where he did an excellent job of bridging the sailing and design teams. That alignment played a key role in the steady evolution of the boat through the cycle and ultimately getting us into The Match.

However, that period also brought his first real setback in the Cup, when he didn’t sail as helmsman and was replaced by Dylan Fletcher just two months before the round robin. The measure of the man was how he responded – he didn’t fold. He doubled down, refocused, and put everything into making Britannia as fast as possible. It was a difficult moment, but he handled it with real professionalism and resilience.

If the Americans are looking for a strong leader who can bridge design and sailing, while mentoring a younger group through the nuances of AC75 racing, they have absolutely nailed it with Giles.

I’ve been surprised he wasn’t snapped up earlier by another syndicate for AC38, before the Americans moved. There are now two British AC75 helmsmen not sailing for GB1 in AC38, with Paul Goodison signing for Alinghi. 

“Giles is one of the most accomplished sailors of his generation, and his experience, mindset and attention to detail will be invaluable to this campaign,” said CEO Read. “Bringing the right people together is absolutely critical to delivering in our vision, and Giles is a perfect example of the calibre we’re assembling.

“With the timeframes we’re working to, getting the chemistry right from day one is essential. You need a group that can come together quickly, trust each other and perform under extreme pressure – Giles will play a huge role in helping us build that environment.”

Scott now has an interesting dual role ahead – helping steer the next American challenge in the oldest sporting trophy in the world, while also driving the Canada SailGP team. That combination could be exactly the reset he needs, particularly after a challenging start to SailGP Season Six for the Canadians.