Athena Pathway is a British sailing team created in 2022 to compete for the 2024 Youth and Women's editions of the America's Cup.

Athena Pathway
Career
Yacht club Royal Yacht Squadron (2024-)
Established2022
Nation United Kingdom
Team principal(s)Sir Ben Ainslie
Hannah Mills
Yachts
Sail no.Boat name

The team was established in 2022 with the ambition of building a Long-Term, Equitable Pathway in High-Performance Sailing an winning the 2024 Youth and Women's America's Cup for Great Britain and to 'bring the cup home' to the United Kingdom and also . In 2024 the team challenged for the Youth and Women's America's Cup in Barcelona, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Formation and facilities

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Athena Pathway, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, was launched in August 2022 by Hannah Mills OBE and Sir Ben Ainslie, two of Britain's most successful Olympic sailors, with the aim of fast-tracking development in high-performance sailing and bringing diversity to the sport and the UK marine industry more broadly.[1]

Led by Mills, the Pathway was established for female and youth athletes. Hoping to fast-track development in professional sailing, level the playing field in high-performance foiling and bring equality and diversity into the sport at its highest level, both on and off the water. The core of the pathway is a commitment to sustainability, with an ethos of 'People, Planet and Purpose', encouraging athletes to use their voices in the fight against climate change.[2]

2024

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UNICREDIT Youth America's Cup

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Crew

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Sailor Position
  Nick Robins Skipper & Helm
  James Grummett Helm
  Alex Hughes Trimmer
  Matt Beck Trimmer
  Hattie Rogers Trimmer
Citation:[3][4]

Results

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Athena Pathway ranked 3rd over all in their qualification group but missed out on qualifying for the final by 2 points.

Qualification Series
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Pos Team
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 Points
1   Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team 1 2 1 1 1 1 6 3 63
2   NYYC American Magic 2 1 INR INR 2 3 4 1 50
3   Athena Pathway 4 3 2 2 6 5 3 2 37
4   Orient Express Racing Team INR INR INR INR 3 4 1 DNF†† 35
5   Emirates Team New Zealand 3 4 3 4 5 2 2 5 34
6   Alinghi Red Bull Racing 5 5 4 3 4 6 5 4 23
Citation:[5]

Instructed Not to Race (INR) - Teams that are instructed not to race by the racing committee are awarded 4 points.
†† Did Not Finish (DNF) - Team withdrew part way through the race. The team is still awarded 1 pt.

Semi-Final Series

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Pos Team
R1 R2 R3 R4 Points
1   Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team 2 2 1 2 31
2   NYYC American Magic 5 1 3 4 20
3   Athena Pathway 3 3 2 5 19
4   Swedish Challenge powered by Artemis Technologies 1 5 4 6 16
5   Andoo Team Australia 6 6 5 1 14
6  Sail Team Barcelona 4 4 6 3 12
Citation:[5]


PUIG Women's America's Cup

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Crew

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Sailor Position
  Hannah Mills Skipper & Helm
  Natasha Bryant Helm
  Ellie Aldridge Helm
  Hannah Diamond Trimmer
  Saskia Clark Trimmer
  Anna Burnet Trimmer
  Hattie Rogers Trimmer
Citation:[1][2]

Results

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Athena Pathway came 1st overall in both their qualification group and the semi-final series. However, they lost the 'winner takes all' match race to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

Qualification Series
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Pos Team
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Points
1   Athena Pathway 1 3 2 2 2 1 46
2   Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team 4 1 1 1 4 4 39
3   Emirates Team New Zealand 2 4 3 4 5 2 27
4   Alinghi Red Bull Racing 3 2 6 5 1 5 27
5   NYYC American Magic 5 6 5 6 3 3 16
6   Orient Express Racing Team 6 5 4 3 6 INR†† 16
Citation:[6]
Semi-Final Series
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Pos Team
R1 R2 R3 R4 Points
1   Athena Pathway 3 2 1 3 27
2   Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team 2 1 2 4 27
3   Sail Team Barcelona 1 6 4 1 24
4   Swedish Challenge powered by Artemis Technologies 6 3 5 2 15
5   Emirates Team New Zealand 4 5 3 5 12
6   Jajo Team DutchSail 5 4 6 6 7
Citation:[6]
The Final
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Team 1
  Athena Pathway
  Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
Citation:[6]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b Athena Pathway (5 October 2024). "Athena Pathway Announces Sailing Squad Ahead of Groundbreaking Puig Women's America's Cup". sailworld.com. Sail World. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Misson & Vision". athenapathway.com. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  3. ^ Athena Pathway (17 September 2024). "Athena Pathway ready to defend Youth America's Cup for Britain". yachtsandyachting.com. Yachts and Yachting. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  4. ^ "OFFICIAL COMPETITORS IN THE UNICREDIT YOUTH AND PUIG WOMEN'S AMERICA'S CUP". Athena Pathway. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Unicredit Youth America's Cup Results". America's Cup. Americas Cup. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Puig Women's America's Cup Results". America's Cup. Americas Cup. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
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