Official website of America’s Cup. The competition for the oldest trophy in international sport and dates back to 1851.
In the past, and indeed even in the current Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, the Arbitration Panel has dealt with a wide range of issues such as whether a yacht design complied with the Class Rule, nationality and residency eligibility of sailors, interpretation of Protocol clauses governing team operations, disputes overconfidential design information, challenges relating to venue arrangements and event management and commercial disagreements between teams and the event organiser.
The selected panel acts as an independent judicial body to ensure that all competitors operate under the same rules. It is particularly important in a competition like the America’s Cup, where there is no external international federation running the event, and to many the Arbitration Panel is viewed as the ‘Supreme Court’ of what can sometimes be a contentious event as much off the water as on. For 2027, the America’s Cup Arbitration Panel consists of three members assisted by a Secretary, as follows:
Henry Peter – Switzerland & France
Henry is a Swiss and French lawyer and emeritus professor of the University of Geneva. He specialises in corporate and sports law, fields in which he has written numerous articles as well as books, including, since 2000, six books as co-author and editor about the America’s Cup. He often acts as arbitrator in business and sports matters. He is Vice-chairman of the Swiss Stock Exchange Sanctions Commission, was, for almost twenty years, Vice-Chairman of the Swiss Olympic Disciplinary Chamber of Swiss Sport and was, until December 2023, a member of the International Automobile Federation’s Ethics Committee. He was a member of the 31st America’s Cup Arbitration Panel, of the 32nd America’s Cup Jury and Arbitration Panel, Chairman of the33rd America’s Cup Arbitration Panel and member of the 36th America’s Cup Arbitration Panel.
David Tillett AM – Australia
David is a Member of the Order of Australia and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for Services to Yachting in 2000. He has been a practising lawyer and has a long list of governance roles in sailing, including being appointed as an International Technical Official at seven Olympic Games, including three times being Chair of the International Jury. He has been an official at eight America’s Cups (1992, 1995, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2019 and 2024), having been appointed as an Umpire, member of the Jury, twice as Jury Chair (2010 and 2013), and twice as Chair of the Arbitration Panel (2019 and 2024). He was a member of the World Sailing Council for eighteen years, Chair of the World Sailing Racing Rules Committee for twelve years, and was the Chairman of the World Sailing Constitution Committee for eight years. He is currently a member of the World Sailing Governance Committee and Chair of the Australian Maritime Museum/ Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the South Australian Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 and has received the World Sailing Beppe Croce Trophy 2022 for “an individual who has made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing.” David was the Chairman of the 36th America’s Cup Arbitration Panel.
Graham McKenzie – New Zealand
Graham is a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand and has extensive experience as a Commercial Lawyer. He holds a Master of Laws degree from Warwick University, England. Graham is a long-standing member of the New Zealand Law Society Disciplinary Tribunal. He is Chairman of the Kartsport New Zealand Appeals Board. Graham has previously been a member of the Jury and Arbitration Panel for the 32nd America’s Cup and a member of the Jury of the 33rd and 34th America’s Cups. He was a member of the Arbitration Panel for the 36th America’s Cup. Graham is a former Chair of the World Sailing Constitution Committee and of its Ethics Commission.
Claire Mordelet – France
Claire is a lawyer admitted to the Paris and New York bars. Her practice focuses on international commercial and sports law arbitration. She was the Secretary of the 33rd and 36th America’s Cup Arbitration Panel.
