Hosted in Naples, Italy, in 2027, the America’s Cup remains the world’s oldest international sporting trophy and the ultimate prize in sailing. Led by Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie and CEO Ian Walker, the British team will return for its fourth America’s Cup campaign, representing the Challenger of Record Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, marking a significant new chapter in the team’s journey alongside Richard Mille.
GB1 skipper and helm Dylan Fletcher MBE alongside key members of the team will wear Richard Mille watches throughout the 2027 America’s Cup campaign. Dylan is joined in the sailing squad by Ben Cornish, Bleddyn Mon, Andrea Tesei, and Jemima Lines.
The announcement was made ahead of the second America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta (24– 27 September), where GB1 will race on the waters of Naples for the first time, competing against five other nations in the one-design AC40 foiling yachts, ahead of the city hosting the 38th America’s Cup in 2027.
GB1 will then focus on launching their reconfigured AC75 foiling monohull race boat by the end of 2026, which retains the core structural hull from the 2024 campaign, but with a re- built internal layout to accommodate five sailing crew cockpits, a new battery-based energy storage and management system, and heavily upgraded control electronics, appendage interfaces, and foil systems to meet the new 2027 rule cycle.
“I was very excited when the prospect of this partnership first came to light, and it's fantastic to now officially bring these two brands together,” said Dylan Fletcher MBE, skipper helm of GB1.
“Richard Mille has consistently pushed the boundaries of watchmaking, pioneering the use of cutting-edge materials and complex movements to achieve the highest level of performance. That’s ultimately what we're trying to do with GB1 in competitive sailing, so there’s real synchronicity in our shared values and desire to challenge what’s possible.”
The legacy of the America's Cup dates back to 1851, when the schooner America sailed from New York to Great Britain to test the limits of American yacht design against the best of the British fleet. Today, the event’s rich heritage of innovation and high-performance sailing lives on through the cutting-edge foil technology of the AC75 class, while Richard Mille’s longstanding commitment to both classic and modern regattas makes the Swiss watchmaking brand a natural fit for GB1’s next phase.
Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille EMEA, commented: “Our partnership with GB1 marks a natural extension of our involvement in the world of sailing, at the heart of one of sport’s oldest and most demanding disciplines. The 38th America’s Cup rewards precision, relentless innovation and resilience, values that we have championed since Richard Mille’s founding. GB1 has already made history for British sailing, and it is a genuine privilege to stand behind their experienced team as they continue their pursuit of bringing the trophy home.”
Amanda Mille, Brand and Partnerships Director at Richard Mille, commented: “Sailing has always been a fantastic source of inspiration for us. This new partnership is a natural continuation of our journey with dedicated watches development and regattas partnerships. It embodies the perfect combination of purity of line, performance and innovation that defines Richard Mille’s identity.”
Together with GB1, Richard Mille deepens its commitment to elite sailing and looks towards the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup with a shared determination to embrace the demands of the competition and support the British team in its ambition to achieve a historic result on the waters of Naples.
