Lines to be first British woman in America’s Cup team for 90 years
Jemima Lines has become the first British woman selected for an America's Cup sailing team in 90 years, joining the GB1 crew for next year's event. Her selection is significant not only historically but structurally: the 38th America's Cup, to be held in Naples in 2027, will be the first in its 175-year history to require at least one woman in each five-person crew, making Lines' place central to a wider shift in the sport's approach to gender representation.
The 29-year-old, a former kitefoiler who was Team GB's back-up to gold medallist Ellie Aldridge at Paris 2024, follows Phyllis Sopwith, the last British woman to race for a British America's Cup challenger, in 1934 and 1937. Lines holds a mechanical engineering degree and will also contribute to the GB1 design team, alongside crewmates Bleddyn Mon, Dylan Fletcher, Ben Cornish and Andrea Tesei. Racing begins in May 2027, with the final held on 10-11 July; Lines said the achievement was especially meaningful given her late father's influence on her sporting career.
- Jemima Lines is first British woman on an America's Cup crew in 90 years.
- 2027 event will require a woman in every five-person crew for the first time.
- She'll also help design GB1's boat ahead of racing in Naples.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Mandatory female representation addresses systemic exclusion that gender-blind selection has failed to remedy; a 90-year absence of British women in America's Cup demonstrates structural barriers rather than lack of talent. Jemima Lines holds an engineering degree and has competed at Olympic level, proving her competitive merit. Such quotas ensure opportunities exist and signal genuine commitment to inclusion, rather than passively hoping women will eventually break through.
The case against
Selection should be determined purely by demonstrated competitive performance, without gender-based criteria. Whilst historic exclusion was unjust, removing barriers to fair competition—rather than imposing new selection parameters—is the proper remedy. Quota-driven inclusion, even with qualified candidates, compromises meritocratic principle and sets precedent for non-performance-based selection. The strongest five sailors should race, regardless of gender.