ARC Team USA has pulled back the curtain on the first six sailors of its Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup campaign in Naples, and the roster reads like a reunion of American Magic talent bolstered by current US SailGP firepower. The names — Lucas Calabrese, Riley Gibbs, Michael Menninger, Hans Henken, Harry Melges IV and Louisa Nordstrom — sit under sailing director Giles Scott and CEO Ken Read, and the mix signals a squad built for depth rather than a single obvious helmsman-and-done approach.
Breaking Down the ARC Team USA Lineup
Calabrese brings Olympic pedigree and multi-class world titles, plus the proven ability to slot into any role after covering for an injured Paul Goodison in Barcelona. Gibbs and Menninger, both former American Magic trimmers, carry over grinding and wing-trim sharpness from a US SailGP campaign currently sitting fourth overall. Henken’s flight-control experience is backed by an aerospace engineering background that could make him a natural fit for the strategy-and-systems seat AC75s now demand, while Nordstrom’s Women’s America’s Cup trimming résumé and foiling-class versatility give the team flexibility across multiple positions. Melges, already a TP52 Super Series champion at just 24, adds a genuine helming option alongside Calabrese.Why the ARC Team USA Squad Matters
No roles have been formally assigned yet, and the team has confirmed more announcements are still to come — sailing personnel or shore-side staff, it’s not yet clear. What is clear is that this build looks less like a one-shot Cup tilt and more like the multi-cycle roster the new America’s Cup partnership framework encourages, echoing shifts already reshaping the Louis Vuitton Cup 2027 schedule. For a full breakdown of where each sailor might land on the AC75, THE FOIL’s analysis of the ARC Team USA squad is worth a watch before Naples racing gets underway.Video courtesy of THE FOIL — watch the full video on YouTube.
