America's Cup: An upgraded Emirates Team NZ's AC 75 returns to the team base

Emirates Team New Zealand sail their AC75 'Taihoro' in Barcelona, Spain - June 30, 2024 © Hamish Hooper

Emirates Team New Zealand's AC75 'Taihoro' has returned to its Wynyard Quarter base, completing a stealthy midnight run across the Harbour Bridge from the team's dedicated North Shore build facility. After months behind closed doors for a major refit, the big boat is back in the shed: leaner, sharper, and looking just like new.

The successful return of the boat is a testament to the "unsung heroes" of the campaign: the Emirates Team New Zealand boat builders. Operating out of the team's bespoke North Shore boat build facility, these craftspeople have spent thousands of hours meticulously refitting the AC75.

This refit wasn't just a maintenance check, it has been a masterclass in Kiwi craftsmanship, reconfiguring the 37th America's Cup winning Taihoro to the Class Rule and Technical Regulations of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup.

Taihoro, Emirates Team NZ's upgraded AC75 is now in the team's Wynyard Point Base - February 2026 - photo © Richard Gladwell - Sail-World.com/nz

As Taihoro was unwrapped in the team base before dawn, the boat has emerged sporting a crisp new aesthetic. While the lines are familiar, the livery remains a tribute to the long-standing partnerships that keep the foils flying. The iconic branding of Emirates, Omega, and Toyota remains front and centre, ensuring the boat looks as sharp as she sails.

Boat Captain Spencer Loxton and the dedicated Shore Crew was there to welcome Taihoro at 4am to get the huge AC75 safely into the cradle where she will be fitted out with the complex internal hydraulic and electronic systems that run the boat.

Huge props to the incredible skill and precision of everyone involved. The team's dedication behind the scenes is what makes these carbon fibre masterpieces fly.

"Taihoro looks great. She makes the AC40s look like a couple of dinghies in the shed now," said Loxton.

"It's a pretty important milestone in the campaign because today really reiterates how this America's Cup is coming around a whole lot quicker this time without having to build a new boat. Now we move into a solid period of fit out and shed commissioning for Taihoro and then she'll be back out on the water here on our home waters in Auckland for general sailing commissioning and testing the upgrades."

The upgrades have not just been a fresh coat of paint. The engineering team has been busy trimming the fat and reconfiguring the layout to meet the latest class evolution:

• The Power of Eight to Five: The cockpit has been streamlined for the new 5-person crew limit, optimising ergonomics for the sailors who have to handle this beast at 50+ knots.
• The "Hot Seat": Perhaps the most exciting addition is the dedicated Guest Racer Pod. For the first time, a few lucky (and very brave) souls will get a front-row seat to the action, tucked into a custom pod to experience the raw G-forces of AC75 racing.

The upcoming training sessions on the Hauraki Gulf won't just be about testing the carbon fibre—they'll be about forging the chemistry of a new look sailing team with the sole objective to defend the Auld Mug once again.

"Before we know it, we're going to be sailing Taihoro in Auckland again, then into the Preliminary Regatta starting in Sardinia in May 2026, and then, we're not actually far away from the actual America's Cup in Naples in 2027. So, it's all getting very real, very quickly," said Loxton lowering the shed doors to house Taihoro before the boat emerges for her first sail of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup.