Jemima Lines is set to become the first British woman to compete in the America's Cup in 90 years after being named to the GB1 team for the 2027 event. The 38th America's Cup, which will be held in Naples, Italy, will be the first in its 175-year history to mandate at least one woman on each five-person crew.
Lines, 29, expressed her excitement, calling the selection a "pivotal moment" for sailing. "It has been a long time coming," she told BBC Sport. "It is incredible, what a moment in history and it is just so exciting, I think it is a pivotal moment for our sport really."
The last British woman to race in the America's Cup aboard a British challenger was Phyllis Sopwith, who competed in 1934 and 1937.
Lines, a former kitefoiler for the British Sailing Team and an alternate for the Paris 2024 Olympics, brings a strong engineering background to the GB1 team. She holds a degree in mechanical engineering and is expected to contribute to the design team, developing tools for the AC75 yacht. Her crewmates include Bleddyn Mon, Dylan Fletcher, Ben Cornish, and Andrea Tesei.
Beyond sailing, Lines has a history of adventure, including scaling mountains and setting altitude kite surfing records. She attributes her adventurous spirit to her late father, Ralph Crathorne, a former British special forces soldier. "He would just absolutely love it, he was an absolute legend and an incredible adventurer," Lines said of his likely reaction to her selection.
Racing for the 38th America's Cup is scheduled to begin in May 2027, with the final match taking place on July 10-11. Lines described the atmosphere within the GB1 team as electric, noting a "buzz in the air" and a drive among all team members, from sailors to shore crew. "It is a design challenge first off, then you take it to the water and that is the exciting thing that the race has already started and the rest is yet to come," she added.