Jemima Lines named to GB1, first British woman in an America's Cup team for 90 years

Jemima Lines has been named to the GB1 America's Cup crew for the 38th America's Cup in Naples, Italy, in 2027, becoming the first British woman selected for an America's Cup team in 90 years. "It has been a long time coming," Lines told BBC Sport, adding: "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."

Lines, 29, was selected for next year's event, which will be the first edition in the competition's 175-year history to require at least one woman in each five-person crew. The last British woman to race aboard a British America's Cup challenger was Phyllis Sopwith, who competed in 1934 and 1937.

A former kitefoiler on the British Sailing Team, Lines served as Team GB's back-up to eventual gold medallist Ellie Aldridge at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She holds a degree in mechanical engineering, a qualification the GB1 programme says will be put to use in their campaign.

Lines has an adventurous background outside sailing, having worked as a guide at Everest basecamp, climbed mountain summits and set altitude kite surfing records. Her late father, Ralph Crathorne, described in the announcement as a former British special forces soldier, died in an accident on Ben Nevis earlier this year; Lines said: "He would just absolutely love it, he was an absolute legend and an incredible adventurer. Every sport I have ever done, we have done as a family and that lead me to this. He lead me to this really."

With her engineering experience, Lines will also contribute to GB1's design work and help develop the tools the crew will use aboard the AC75. She joins Bleddyn Mon, Dylan Fletcher, Ben Cornish and Andrea Tesei in the GB1 crew.

Commenting on the atmosphere within the campaign, Lines said: "The anticipation is massive for this one and all I can say is that coming into this team you can feel the buzz in the air." She added: "It is just a place full of legends, from the sailors to everyone working here. There is that daily drive and there is no waiting around." On the challenge ahead she said: "I think the team as a whole is expectational and I don't really want to give the game away. 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."

The 38th America's Cup is scheduled to take place in Naples in 2027, with racing beginning in May and the final Match set for 10-11 July.