British America’s Cup team, GB1, recruits kitefoiler Jemima Lines
Dylan Fletcher MBE, Jemima Lines and Sir Ben Ainslie with the Louis Vuitton Cup at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Image courtesy of GB1. Kitefoiler Jemima Lines (née Crathorne) has joined the sailing squad of British America’s Cup team GB1.
Lines was part of the British Sailing Team’s Kite4Gold programme when the sport was introduced for the Paris 2024 Olympics and caddied for British gold medallist Ellie Aldridge at the Games.
The 29-year-old brings a combination of elite sporting performance, mechanical engineering expertise and adventure experience to the British America’s Cup challenge.
Updates from the GB1 camp on the boat and team have been coming fast after some tumultuous months earlier in 2026.
Lines joins GB1 as the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup approaches a landmark moment in the event’s 175-year history, as it will be the first time the competition has mandated that at least one crew member onboard the AC75 race boat must be female.
Lines’ kitefoiling career
Lines learned to kitesurf aged eight before competing on the British Freestyle Circuit, the European Tour and the Junior World Championships. Scouted in 2018 for the British Sailing Team’s Kite4Gold programme targeting Paris 2024, she completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering alongside her training.
In 2023, Lines was one of five British Sailing athletes who featured in the top 15 kitefoilers worldwide.
Female crew mandate for America’s Cup
The new requirement for at lest one crew member to be female on the AC75 race boat follows the success of the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup which took place during the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024. The competition was noted for its intensity with the final between Luna Rossa (ITA) and Hannah Mills’ Athena Pathway (GBR) being one of the stand-out races of the entire regatta.
Mills returns for the second edition of the Women’s America’s Cup in 2027, as team principal and helm of the British team, which has announced it will now compete under the Cobham-Ultra GB2 identity.
For the AC75 racing at the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, there will be five crew members on-board, reduced from eight as batteries replace the manual power roles of grinders and cyclors. There will now be two helms, two trimmer / pilots and one strategist on-board, as well as a spot for a guest racer, giving VIPs, sponsors, media and influencers a chance to experience America’s Cup racing.
Lines to be key part of design team
As well as a member of the sailing team, Lines will also be a key part of the design team and develop the tools the GB1 race crew will use on the AC75. The dual role reflects that of GB1 sailor Bleddyn Mon, who also has a degree in mechanical engineering and holds an integral role in the design team. Alongside Mon and Lines in the GB1 race crew is Dylan Fletcher MBE, Ben Cornish and Andrea Tesei, who joined the British team from the Italian entry, Luna Rossa.
“It’s an absolute honour to be joining GB1 at such a transformative moment for our sport,” says Lines. “The opportunity to be working with such a world-class team both on and off the water is incredible. The role itself is really exciting as it perfectly combines my engineering background and high-performance foil racing experience. I can’t wait to get started as we press on towards the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples.”
Ian Walker, GB1 CEO, notes that as the programme transitions from AC40 development into commissioning the AC75, the specific nature and importance of the fifth crew member’s role has become much clearer.
“Jemima stood out because of her unique combination of elite sporting performance, world-class foiling experience, engineering expertise and the personality to thrive within a high-performance team,” Walker continues. “She has an exceptional CV, but more importantly she has all the qualities we believe are needed to help make this campaign faster. We’ve taken our time to identify the right person for this role, and I couldn’t be more excited about what Jemima will bring to the group.”
Ainslie on evolving team
Sir Ben Ainslie, team principal of GB1 and CEO of Athena Sports Group, notes that Lines represents the calibre of athlete the team’s looking for as the America’s Cup evolves: “Combining world-class foiling ability with outstanding technical knowledge.”
The racing schedule for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup was published last month, with the action getting underway on 22-23 May 2027, with an historic opening weekend of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series, as all seven AC75 challengers line up together for fleet racing for the first time in America’s Cup history. Traditional, one-on-one match racing will then begin on 26 May, with Round Robin and knockout stages. The Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Match is scheduled to begin on 10-11 July 2027, with the first team to secure seven race victories claiming sailing’s ultimate prize.
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