Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

The America's Cup countdown clock is ticking loudly

by Emirates Team New Zealand 19 Jan 2024 07:23 UTC
Emirates Team New Zealand - LEQ12 Prototype - January 2024 - Auckland © Emirates Team New Zealand

Amazingly, it is the year of the America’s Cup again already. 2024 is upon us, and for Emirates Team New Zealand it comes with a familiar mix of excitement and intensity. The clock is ticking louder suddenly, as the team hit the ground running with its first full week back on the job.

“There are many critical phases of an America’s Cup campaign, but this is certainly right up there.” explained Emirates Team New Zealand COO Kevin Shoebridge. “The windows are closing on the final design decisions, the timelines for production are tightening, and every week on our schedule between now and the start of racing with the Preliminary Regatta on August 22nd really needs to stay on track.”

In 7 months, racing will begin in anger in Barcelona- but there is a mountain of milestones to achieve before then- most significant of which is the completion and launch of what is currently referred to as ‘Boat 3’- the boat that will be used to defend the America’s Cup.

Emirates Team New Zealand Coach Ray Davies is positive about the year ahead saying, “It’s really exciting to be looking at the challenges ahead with obviously the new boat coming online soon. But this is the year of the America's Cup which is all about technology, so this is the year that the design team and everyone in the team gets to expose what they've been up to behind closed doors for so long.”

The team were back out on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf this week sailing their AC40 in testing and development mode, putting the latest foil iteration through its paces and testing processes, with the joint reconnaissance team keeping a very close eye on every aspect of on water testing.

“Back in the LEQ12, we’ve got a new foil on there this week which has been of interest. It’s always good getting new kit onboard, so that’s our main focus over the next couple of days is evaluating its performance.” said Davies.

It is these vital evaluations of the team’s last test foil allowed by the Protocol of the 37th America’s Cup, that will decide the ultimate shape and intricate characteristics of Boat 3’s race foils. So it is a busy time inside the teams base tucked away in Auckland’s Wynyard Point as well as the committed team of boat builders working tirelessly at the Emirates Team New Zealand production facility in Albany.

Helmsman Nathan Outteridge is well aware of the stage of the campaign.

“We're getting to the busy end of the campaign now. Final test foil, final year of the campaign. There is only nine months to go and it will all be over, but right now there are a lot of things to tick off here in Auckland before we head off to Barcelona.

So, the holiday is over and we're ready to get back into it.”

Related Articles

SailGP and America's Cup on collision course
Serious schedule clashes ahead as a group of professional sailors try to serve two masters. The tectonic plates of the sailing world, SailGP and America's Cup, are a collision course, with the Big Bang expected in 2027, when there is expected to be some serious schedule clashes as a group of professional sailors try to serve two masters. Posted on 26 Sep
America's Cup: Ray Davies scouts Naples
Ray Davies of Emirates Team New Zealand recently made a vibrant stop in Naples, Italy Ray Davies of Emirates Team New Zealand recently made a "vibrant" stop in Naples, Italy, ahead of the upcoming Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup, and was left in awe of both the city and its sailing conditions. Posted on 25 Sep
America's Cup: Controversial agreement signed
According to Italian media, the secret AC Partnership agreement has been signed by CoR/D* International sailing journalist, Fabio Pozo, writing for the Milan based newspaper La Stampa, reports that the secret America's Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement is expected to be signed next week. Posted on 21 Sep
America's Cup: Vision for the Naples unveiled
Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute unveiled the vision for the America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute, the publicly-owned Italian company responsible for promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle across the nation, unveiled the vision for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Posted on 20 Sep
Womens America's Cup opportunities expand
the pathway for female athletes has never been stronger than in the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup 2024 and the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup was announced following the publication of the Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. It was a moment not only for women's sport and equality but showed that the America's Cup was Posted on 19 Sep
America's Cup: The Elephant(s) in the Room
Some shafts of light have been shed on the negotiation positions of the Challengers and Defender. With nearly 250 pages of America's Cup regulations released, it's clear both the Challenger and Defender have ben forced to take a pragmatic stance on the Naples Cup. Some shafts of light have been shed on the positions of the Challengers and Defender. Posted on 18 Sep
America's Cup: Luna Rossa's Challenge accepted
According to local media the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted by the Kiwis. Leading America's Cup journalist, Fabio Pozzo, reports that the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted for the 2027 Cup in Naples. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: ETNZ's design boss on new AC75 Rule
Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on recycled AC75 hulls, electric power and other rule changes. Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on the use of recycled AC75 hulls, the switch to full electric power, and other changes. He claims there is plenty of performance gain left in the AC75 for the designer teams. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted on 11 Sep
America's Cup: Running silent and deep, again.
A look at the flotsam that has surfaced as the Cup teams again go into deep and silent negotiation. A look at the state of the Cup - given the three weeks of silence since the hasty final Protocol signing. Previously a long deep dive by the teams has indicated that a lot of negotiation is underway. Here's what we've seen floating on the surface. Posted on 10 Sep
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMSwitch One Design