Continuing Thomas Lyte’s longstanding relationship with competitive sailing, the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup trophy raises the anchor on an exciting future for the sport. The advent of Hydrofoiling and cyclors promises compelling racing for the generation of sailors in waiting.
Royal Warrant holders as silversmiths and goldsmiths to Her late Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, Thomas Lyte are world-renowned custom trophy designers and makers. Advocating for a strong future for elite competitive sport across the world, Thomas Lyte have designed and manufactured the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup. The trophy fought for by the new generation of sailing.
World-renowned trophy manufacturers, Thomas Lyte, handcrafted the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup. Made in one of Europe’s largest purpose-built, fine silver workshops, this dramatic trophy is a leading example of Thomas Lyte’s dedication to the blend of traditional craft and modern methodology.
The UniCredit Youth America’s Cup joins a family of Thomas Lyte-made sailing trophies, further strengthening their affinity with the sport. The SailGP trophy and the Louis Vuitton Cup are two of the most prestigious awards in the sport, collectively manufactured in Thomas Lyte’s London workshop. A shared focus on preserving traditional skills and pioneering innovative processes inspired the design and craft of this trophy.
Standing 436mm in height, the UniCredit America’s Youth Cup has been hand-crafted from sterling silver. Utilising 24-carat gold plating, the bowl and the plinth of the trophy have been spun, using age-old techniques. The distinctive ‘Ys’, the iconic detail of this trophy, are cast in 4.8kg of sterling silver. This process is preceded by 3D printing followed by the making of the casting mould. It’s a trophy that leans heavily on symbolism, with the shared dedication to empower sailing’s prodigies, encapsulated by the addition of the bowline knot. This element illustrates the importance of collaboration and highlights the team-work which is so essential out on the water. All of these features combine and result in a stunning trophy that befits a competition capturing the imagination of sailing fans across the globe.
This stunning piece of silverware travelled from our London workshop to Barcelona for the first time in the summer of 2024, shortly before the young sailors from 12 countries began their quest to victory in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup.
The UniCredit Youth America’s Cup brings together the best young sailors aged between 18 and 25, from across the globe. Racing in AC40s, and after hours of training on the ‘water’ – in a virtual simulator – and at some of the most prestigious regattas around the world, these sailing prodigies compete for this stunning Thomas Lyte-made trophy.
Thomas Lyte’s relationship with sailing is an enduring one. Harnessing the very latest technology, Thomas Lyte’s cutting-edge trophy mirrors sailing’s willingness to embrace the kind of advances that have transformed the nature of the sport.
Thomas Lyte is proud to have designed and hand-crafted many of the sailing’s most iconic silverware. Voyaing with the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup, the SailGP Trophy stands as one of the most iconic trophies to be designed and made at our London workshop. Our association with the America’s Cup continues, too, with the Louis Vuitton Cup. The trophy that crowns the challenger to the America’s Cup.
Our team make the conceivable possible, while preserving traditional skills, pioneering modern methods, and promoting authentic British craft across the globe. Combining the latest technologies with centuries of knowledge, Thomas Lyte’s silver workshops in London, England house world-class facilities for an elite team of designers and makers, masters of their craft. Learn about 3D printing, electroforming and other new technologies that our team have introduced to our sustainable handcrafting process.
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Materials. Sterling silver, 24-carat gold plate
Workshop Processes. Spinning, Soldering, Filing, Polishing, Plating, Engraving, Casting, Hammering
Thomas Lyte are the proud designers and makers of the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup.
Take a glance at these trivia questions about this stunning trophy:
