The Athena Pathway Programme youth team, supported by Cobham-Ultra, is set to compete for GBR in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup in its bid to retain the trophy, after Britain last won the event in 2017.
Set up by Hannah Mills OBE and Sir Ben Ainslie in their bid to support the next generation of British sailors, Athena Pathway aims to fast-track development in high-performance sailing and bring diversity into the sport and the UK marine industry more broadly.
The Puig Women’s and UniCredit Youth America’s Cups, taking place alongside the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in September and October 2024, are a central focus for the Pathway, but the programme will continue beyond these events in a bid to create more opportunities and widen the talent pool within the industry.
The British youth team, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, will be skippered by Nick Robins, 25, from Hayling Island, who will race with Co-Helm James Grummett, 25, from Clitheroe. Both bring exceptional talent and experience from the 49er class. In the tactical trimming roles, Matt Beck, 23, from Ledbury, and Alex Hughes, 24, from Birmingham, take the two Trimmer spots, while Hattie Rogers, 24, from Poole, completes the line-up as Reserve Sailor.
Athena Pathway is one of 12 youth teams competing from 12 nations in the 25 and under competition that runs alongside the America’s Cup, sport’s oldest international trophy. The teams have been split into two groups, invited teams and those nations that have a team competing in the 37th America’s Cup. The Qualification Series starts today and sees a total of eight races completed for both groups. The top three teams from each group progress into a Final Series of four races to decide the top two teams that will go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all Match Race Final on 26 September.
Current INEOS Britannia’s Cyclor Neil Hunter was part of the British youth team that won the 2017 Youth America’s Cup in Bermuda, and at 29 years old is now competing in his third America’s Cup. Athena Pathway team members spent time with Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia at the start of 2024 to upskill, before heading off to join the Athena Pathway in May. The training and development with INEOS Britannia was for team members both on and off the water, including Sailors Alex Hughes and Nick Robins, AC40 Boat Captain Sophie Heritage and Systems Engineer Suzy Peters.
Nick Robins said: “It was great to watch Britain win the Youth America’s Cup last time round and to now be a part of the team battling to retain is amazing. The last Youth America’s Cup was seven years ago and the boats are very different now, so it’s a complete reset, but we’ve had a really strong summer training in Badalona and also had time training with the senior team so we are feeling good. It’s going to be really competitive, there are a lot of well-prepared teams who have put in a lot of practice so the fleet is really strong – it’s going to be a good fight.”
Athena Pathway Programme Team Principal Hannah Mills said: “Athena Pathway’s youth development programme is all about finding the sailing stars of the future and harnessing their potential by providing them with upskilling opportunities and valuable training time in foiling boats. We are extremely proud of our youth sailors development in the AC40 race boats and can’t wait for them to compete on the world stage at the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup as they battle to retain the title for Britain.”
Chris Draper, Athena Pathway Head Coach and COO, said: “We’re incredibly proud of this group and their commitment to the sport. With this team, we are not just competing—we are aiming to show the world the talent and determination that the British Youth sailing squad has to offer.”
The Athena Pathway Women’s team continues their rigorous training at the Swan Yard facility in Marina de Badalona, ahead of the competition kicking off on 5 October.
