SPORT IS THE ONLY STANDARD OF JUDGMENT

«In life, it’s easy to judge someone, and even easier to be judged unfairly. The beauty of sport, however, is that there is only one standard of judgment, and that’s what counts. Everything depends on how much you care about that judgment and how hard you work to earn it.» Co-helmsman of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Jimmy Spithill has a long and deep connection with the America’s Cup and holds numerous records related to this event. In 1997 he was the youngest helmsman in the America’s Cup on Young Australia, and has won the America’s Cup two editions in a row (2010 and 2013), sharing the record for the most America’s Cup match victories (17) with Dennis Conner. 

His passion for sailing began “out of need” when, as a child, his family moved to a national park where the only way to get to and from the city was by boat. It was then that he became “hungry” for water and the sea. Rational, attentive, and hyper-professional, Jimmy is the Anglo-Saxon soul within the “Latin” heart of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, with which he is competing in the America’s Cup for the third time after the editions of 2007 and 2021. It’s a winning mix for both: capable of making crucial decisions in a matter of seconds with almost supernatural calm, he is equally adept at immersing himself and sharing the passion and sensitivity of the Italian challenger. 

«Considering the type of boats we sail today, a mistake can have serious consequences, so I’m very careful not to make them, but in the past, I’ve made plenty, especially in the America’s Cup,» he recalls. «But when I look back on those moments, the key to bouncing back is always the same: the strength of the team that never gave up. No matter how many Cup campaigns I’ve been part of or how many teams I’ve sailed with, one thing always strikes me, and that’s the passion of the people working on land, who will never step foot on the boat. Seeing the sacrifices they make and the commitment they give to support the sailors racing on the water is incredible.» 

A multiple World and National Champion in both Fleet and Match Racing, he has also won multiple editions of the Sydney to Hobart (currently holding the record on Comanche), was named World and Australian Sailor of the Year, and will go down in history for having led the greatest comeback in the history of sport, overturning an 8-1 deficit to win 9-8 during the 34th America’s Cup in 2013. 

Since 1999, Jimmy has helmed an America’s Cup boat in every edition, setting yet another record (25 consecutive years), and the 2024 edition will be his eighth consecutive Cup. «You spend seven days a week with the team,» he concludes, «but I’ve never seen it as a sacrifice—I feel privileged.»