
America's Cup Yacht Charter
America's Cup — the oldest international sporting trophy and the most strategically significant sailing charter week of the cycle, and the operational shape of the chartered superyacht week that anchors it.
Why America's Cup belongs on the water
There is no event week on the global luxury calendar where the relationship between a chartered superyacht and the on-shore programme is purely a coincidence of scheduling — every venue has its own logic, and America's Cup has a logic of its own. The event runs in depending on the host venue, typically September through October at host city waterfront, and that single anchor detail shapes how senior brokers think about America's Cup charter weeks. The chartered yacht is the calm hosting base, the principal-table dinner venue, the working office and the private green room for the wider four- to eight-day programme that runs around the event itself.
Editorially, the America's Cup week is a six- to ten-day social and commercial campaign rather than a single hero day. The brief from most principals across the week reads roughly the same: a midweek arrival to settle guests, brief crews and warm up the on-shore concierge programme; a working day of on-water racing hospitality with motor-yacht tender follow-boats inside the spectator zone running into a hosted aft-deck reception of forty to sixty guests; a headline evening of principal-table dinners at the contested restaurant reservations; and a closing day of recovery brunch service from 09:00 that pivots into the post-event continuation cruise. Yachts moor at host-city event berthing; the on-shore venue is the regatta programme that the working week is anchored on, and the operational day is built around the venue-to-yacht-to-restaurant choreography rather than around continuous on-board hosting.
The America's Cup charter audience is one of the most internationally diverse of any single week on the calendar — the global sailing community, syndicate principals and sponsors, the senior commercial and family-office set drawn by the sporting and brand programme around the racing. The principal-table dinner programme across the working evenings pulls together a mix of nationalities, languages and commercial contexts; the chartered yacht is the controlled venue that holds those conversations across the working week.
This guide is what we tell new charter clients about how the America's Cup week actually unfolds — the marina geography, the on-shore logistics, the principal-table dinner programme, the helicopter and motorcade movements, the on-board hospitality choreography across the working days, and the booking timeline reality. The single thread that runs through it is that America's Cup charter weeks reward early commitment to the right berth, the right crew capability and the right concierge layer — and they punish late, under-resourced engagement with the week.
America's Cup spectator anchorage commits 9–12 months ahead.
America's Cup day-by-day
Indicative running order based on prior editions. Final times are released by the organisers closer to the date; your concierge will confirm the working schedule for your charter week.
- Day –4 to –2Mon–Wed pre-weekYacht arrivals & rig
Charter yachts arrive the host city from their prior charter station and dock at host-city event berthing through the early week. Crews complete final provisioning, the chief stewardess runs the table-and-flower briefing, and the broker-on-site arrives midweek to begin the dry run of the principal-table dinner programme.
- Day –1ThuGuest arrival & welcome dinner
Principal arrivals through the day at host-city international airport; a private aviation and helicopter transfer programme to the marina into the marina. Welcome cocktails on the aft deck at 19:30, opening dinner on board or — for clients hosting wider tables of fourteen to twenty — at one of host-city signature waterfront restaurant or principal hotel restaurant for an opening principal-table dinner.
- Day 1FriOpening programme & hosted reception
Opening day of the regatta programme at host city waterfront. Principal hosting at the headline VIP programme through the afternoon; helicopter or motorcade return to the yacht in time for an aft-deck hosted reception of forty to sixty guests at 18:30. Dinner on board following the reception, or table at private members club venue or syndicate hospitality village for the principal table.
- Day 2SatHeadline day & principal-table dinner
Headline day of the regatta programme at host city waterfront. Working lunch on the foredeck or in the formal indoor dining for the principal-and-broker table; the principal hosting continues through the afternoon. Saturday evening is the headline principal-table dinner of the working week — table at host-city signature waterfront restaurant or principal hotel restaurant with the contested reservations booked the prior summer.
- Day 3SunClosing day & after-event programme
Closing day of the regatta programme; brunch on board from 09:00; principal and guest movements to the venue from 11:30. The closing on-shore programme runs into the afternoon. Post-event the principal-table dinner moves quieter — either on board with a long Champagne-and-cigar service on the aft deck, or at event-village fine dining for the closing dinner before the after-event programme at the headline nightlife venues (principal hotel rooftop bar, syndicate after-race receptions).
- Day 4MonRecovery brunch & decompression
Recovery brunch on the aft deck from 10:30. Guest departures across the day; the chartered yacht typically slips lines mid-afternoon for the continuation cruise into the surrounding coastline of the host venue, or stands down for guest disembarkation if the charter closes at the host city.
- Day 5–10Continuation cruise (optional)
5–7 days continuation cruise into the surrounding coastline of the host venue for clients extending. The post-event continuation is one of the most useful charter shapes of the year — a quiet, private decompression week with a small inner-circle group following the intensity of the working week.
Where the week actually happens
The berths, terraces, lounges, and tables that define America's Cup. Access varies: some require a host on the inside, others can be arranged through our concierge.
- Marinahost-city event berthing — the host city
Front-quay positions at the principal event berth; the default America's Cup charter berth for the major 50m+ units across the working week. Event-week berth allocation firms up through the prior autumn; the better positions are taken by spring of the event year.
- Marinaadjacent commercial marina
Side-quay positions with proximity to the on-shore venue. The alternative America's Cup charter berth for the 40–55m bracket when host-city event berthing front-quay positions are taken.
- Marina / anchoragehost-city anchorage zone and overflow superyacht berth for the larger 60m+ units
Capacity overflow for the largest units and for clients accepting a longer venue transfer in exchange for berth availability across the working week.
- Restauranthost-city signature waterfront restaurant — the host city
One of the two contested principal-table dinner reservations across the working week. Tables for ten to sixteen; booked by Q2 of the event year for the headline-evening principal-table dinner.
- Restaurantprincipal hotel restaurant — the host city
The alternative contested principal-table dinner reservation; the natural earlier-evening principal table when host-city signature waterfront restaurant is held for the headline night.
- Restaurantprivate members club venue — the host city
Useful for the larger hosted reception dinner of twenty to thirty in a single private dining room; the social-energy alternative to the smaller principal-table format.
- Restaurantsyndicate hospitality village — the host city
The third principal-table reservation in the rotation across the working evenings; useful for the quieter dinner that closes the programme.
- Restaurantevent-village fine dining — the host city
Default for the post-event quiet closing dinner before the after-event programme at the headline nightlife venues.
- Nightlifeprincipal hotel rooftop bar — the host city
The headline after-event nightlife venue across the America's Cup week. Table service for the principal party from 23:00; VIP allocation coordinated by the on-site broker.
- Venue hospitalityon-water racing hospitality with motor-yacht tender follow-boats inside the spectator zone
The headline trackside hospitality programme across the America's Cup week. syndicate after-race receptions, host-city headline nightclub and the after-event programme form the headline activations.
What America's Cup actually costs
Indicative all-in budgets for a seven-night charter timed to the event. Base rates are the yacht only; APA (advance provisioning, typically 30–35%), VAT where applicable, and event-week berth supplements sit on top.
Compact base for a principal-and-advisor week. Sleeps a tight party, supports an on-board working dinner of fifteen, keeps operational simplicity in a five-day America's Cup attendance.
The default America's Cup charter shape. A modern 42-metre Sanlorenzo, Sunseeker, Princess or Benetti at host-city event berthing, crew of nine, chef capable of a four-day cocktail-and-dinner programme. Hosts the opening reception of forty plus the principal-table dinners.
The major principal and sponsor-anchor bracket. Twelve guests across six suites, crew of fourteen, beach club aft, sky lounge convertible to private dining. Hosts the headline evening reception of sixty plus principal-table dinners across the week.
The headline corporate-anchor and senior royal-household bracket. Crew of nineteen, helideck on the larger units, formal indoor dining for eighteen, foredeck staging 110 standing. Front-quay berth at host-city event berthing typically required; sponsor activation programmes anchor at this scale.
Narrow pinnacle bracket. Most yachts at this scale across America's Cup week are owner-positioned for the event and charter availability is allocated by single introduction.
A seven-day yacht itinerary around America's Cup
- Day 1 — Wedthe host city board, soft evening
Board mid-afternoon at host-city event berthing. Orientation of the marina, the venue transfer route and the the host city restaurant programme, early-evening Champagne service, quiet on-board dinner before the working programme opens Thursday.
- Day 2 — ThuGuest arrivals & opening dinner
Principal arrivals through the day. Welcome cocktails on the aft deck at 19:30, opening dinner on board or principal-table at private members club venue or syndicate hospitality village.
- Day 3 — FriOpening programme & hosted reception
Opening day of the regatta programme. host-city international airport is the commercial gateway, with a private aviation and helicopter transfer programme to the marina. 18:30 hosted aft-deck reception for forty to sixty; principal-table dinner following at private members club venue or on board.
- Day 4 — SatHeadline day & principal-table dinner
Headline day of the regatta programme. Working lunch on the foredeck. Saturday evening — the headline principal-table dinner of the week at host-city signature waterfront restaurant or principal hotel restaurant.
- Day 5 — SunClosing day
Closing day of the regatta programme; brunch on board from 09:00. Principal and guest movements to the venue by helicopter or motorcade. Closing on-shore programme runs into the afternoon. Post-event closing dinner at event-village fine dining or on board, after-event programme at principal hotel rooftop bar.
- Day 6 — MonRecovery brunch & departure
Recovery brunch on the aft deck from 10:30. Guest departures through the day; the chartered yacht slips lines mid-afternoon for the continuation cruise into the surrounding coastline of the host venue.
- Day 7 — TueContinuation cruise begins
First full day of the post-event continuation cruise. The narrative tonally inverts the working week — quiet anchorages, small inner-circle group, foredeck dining, long swims off the swim platform, the calm decompression that the working week earns.
What life on board looks like
America's Cup week sits at one of the most operationally complex points on the global luxury calendar, and the chartered yacht is the single piece of infrastructure that holds the working week together. Yachts moor at host-city event berthing; the on-board calendar settles into a predictable rhythm — venue programme in the morning and afternoon, hosted reception or principal-table dinner in the evening, late return to the yacht — with the crew operating an absolutely reliable hospitality cadence behind it.
The most useful single capability across the week is a crew that has run multiple America's Cup weeks before. The venue transfer choreography, the restaurant timing, the after-event-party logistics and the helicopter / motorcade coordination only work well when the captain and chief stewardess know the venue from prior experience. We anchor each America's Cup charter on a captain-and-chief-stew pair with a minimum of two prior weeks on the same itinerary.
Off the yacht, the concierge layer manages the contested the host city restaurant programme (booked by Q2 of the event year for the headline principal-table dinners), the venue hospitality programme, the helicopter and motorcade movements between the marina and the venue, the after-event nightlife allocation, and the headline hotel suite blocks for any complementary land-based guest programme. The on-site broker holds the master schedule across the working days in real time.
How America's Cup actually gets booked
- T–10 to T–14 monthsYacht longlist & berth strategy
Charter enquiries for the following America's Cup open ten to fourteen months ahead of the event. host-city event berthing berth allocation firms up through the prior autumn; the better positions are taken by spring of the event year.
- T–9 to T–12 monthsYacht contracted
Yacht contracted with 50% deposit. Berth contract confirmed in parallel; the major principal-table restaurant reservations across host-city signature waterfront restaurant, principal hotel restaurant, private members club venue, syndicate hospitality village placed at this point.
- T–6 monthsVenue hospitality & guest list
Venue hospitality programme confirmed; helicopter transfer windows reserved; sponsor and VIP credentials locked.
- T–3 monthsDietary, suite assignment & menu
Final guest list, arrival flights, dietary requirements, stateroom assignments to chief stewardess. Menu programme across the working evenings agreed with the chef.
- T–4 weeksRehearsal & supplier confirmation
Captain, chief stewardess and chef walk through the daily flow with the broker. Suppliers confirmed; branded provisioning ordered if relevant; the broker rehearses the venue transfer choreography end-to-end.
- Event weekLive concierge
On-site concierge from Wednesday through Monday morning at host-city event berthing, holding the master schedule in real time and managing the venue-to-yacht-to-restaurant transitions across the working days.
Yachts suited to America's Cup
Examples from our current fleet. Final yacht and berth are matched to your group and event week at proposal stage.
Our team will hand-pick yachts for your dates. Send a brief and we'll come back within 24 hours.
America's Cup charter — questions answered in depth
- What does a America's Cup yacht charter cost, all-in?
A 42-metre yacht for America's Cup week (six nights, Wednesday arrival through Monday morning) typically runs €170k–€310k for the base charter fee plus 30% APA, plus the host-city event berthing berth supplement of €25–50k, plus concierge, venue hospitality, helicopter and on-shore coordination of an additional 25–40% on top. A 50m+ yacht moves the all-in beyond the showpiece tier; the headline 60m+ units for major sponsor and family-office programmes run into the statement-tier bracket.
- When does America's Cup actually run?
depending on the host venue, typically September through October, with the headline day in the middle of the week. The Wednesday-through-Monday charter window is the operational standard; meaningful programmes can extend to a Tuesday-through-Tuesday eight-night window for a wider hosted week.
- How early do I need to book?
The full ten to fourteen months of lead time is the working norm for the better host-city event berthing berths and the headline 45m+ inventory. Front-quay berths during America's Cup week are allocated across the prior autumn; demand has compounded year-on-year. Late engagement — within six months of the event — is workable but constrained.
- Can I get a host-city event berthing berth?
Yes — engagement ten to fourteen months ahead is recommended for the better positions. Front-quay positions are coordinated through the marina office; allocation is broker-coordinated and the better positions are taken through the prior autumn.
- What's the right yacht size for America's Cup?
For a principal-and-advisor charter: 35–46m. For a sponsor-anchor or family-office charter with meaningful hosted receptions: 47–58m. For a headline corporate or royal-household activation: 59m+. The 40–55m bracket is the sweet spot for the majority of America's Cup charter briefs.
- Can I host VIP guests on board?
Yes — this is the most common single use-case. The aft deck or beach club hosts the post-session arrivals from the venue; the sky lounge or formal indoor dining is the venue for the principal-table dinners; the foredeck is the staging area for the larger hosted receptions of forty to a hundred guests across the working evenings.
- How do guests get to the venue?
host-city international airport is the commercial gateway; a private aviation and helicopter transfer programme to the marina. The on-site broker coordinates the helicopter and motorcade movements across the working days, and the chief stewardess holds the venue-to-yacht-return windows in real time.
- Can I extend the charter beyond the event?
Yes — the post-event continuation is one of the most useful charter shapes of the year. 5–7 days into the surrounding coastline of the host venue for clients extending; the narrative tonally inverts the working week with quiet anchorages, small inner-circle group and the calm decompression that the working week earns.
- What's the weather across the event?
Reliably depends on the host venue and date — typically 18–24°C with reliable racing-wind windows. Aft-deck reception evenings are generally weather-friendly with high confidence; the chief stewardess holds an indoor-dining contingency for the principal-table dinner programme regardless.
- What's the right crew profile?
A captain and chief stewardess with a minimum of two prior America's Cup weeks on the same itinerary; a chef capable of a four-day cocktail-and-dinner programme at principal-table level; a deckhand team capable of running thirty-plus tender movements daily; multilingual stewardesses to match the international guest mix. We anchor each America's Cup charter on a crew with that prior experience.
- Do you handle VIP credentials?
Yes — the headline venue hospitality programme is coordinated through our partners. Credential count is locked at T–6 months; the on-site broker holds the daily allocation across the working days.
- What about after-event nightlife allocation?
principal hotel rooftop bar, syndicate after-race receptions, host-city headline nightclub are the headline after-event venues. Table service for the principal party from 23:00; VIP allocation coordinated by the on-site broker through the working week.
- Can I host a sponsor activation on the yacht?
Yes — this is one of the most common use-cases at the 50m+ bracket. The aft deck and foredeck host the headline brand reception; the sky lounge is the venue for working partner meetings across the working days; the formal indoor dining hosts the principal-and-partner principal-table dinners. Brand and supplier coordination is held by the on-site broker.
- How does the charter coordinate with a wider land-based programme?
The headline the host city hotel suite blocks are coordinated alongside the yacht for any complementary land-based guest programme. The yacht remains the principal hosting base across the working days; the land-based programme is the overflow capacity for the wider guest count.
- Why charter for America's Cup rather than book a hotel suite?
America's Cup week in the host city is one of the most saturated hotel weeks of the year — the headline suite blocks are taken by the event commercial and royal-household allocation, and the principal-table dinner reservations across the working days are saturated by Q2 of the event year. The chartered yacht is the controlled hosting venue, the calm working base and the private green room across the week — and the only operationally sensible single piece of infrastructure for a serious principal party of ten or more.
America's Cup is a charter week where early engagement on the right host-city event berthing berth, the right crew capability and the right concierge layer compounds across the working days into a single coherent principal-hosting platform. Booked correctly, it is one of the most concentrated and memorable charter weeks we run for clients. We open enquiries for the following event ten to fourteen months ahead.
Plan a america's cup yacht charter from a private superyacht — front-quay berth, Michelin-level crew, helicopter and concierge handled end-to-end.
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