America's Cup Recon Diary: April 24 - Three breezes in one day
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 25 Apr 06:45 PDT
25 April 2026
Emirates Team New Zealand - AC75, Day 12 - April 24, 2026 © Sam Thom/America's Cup
Emirates Team New Zealand continued their second block of testing on Friday in a variable breeze that kicked up into a solid 18kts during the session.
Today, sailing Day 12 was mostly about sail testing. A new rudder was declared.
There were three different conditions. Good breeze and confused seas in the middle of the session. Flat water, dying breeze, for the start and finish of the session. A funky day - but probably a good one for getting through sail checklists - using legacy sails from the 2024 America's Cup cycle
We did not see any sailing, but the Recon team reported a good breeze for pre-starts. Most manoeuvres were done with two boards down.
Testing Session Summary
Crew List:
- Port Helm: Chris Draper (GBR)
- Starboard Helm: Nathan Outteridge (AUS/NZL)
- Port Trimmers: Iain Jensen (AUS); Jake Pye (NZL)
- Starboard Trimmer: Andy Maloney (NZL)
- Oversight: Jo Aleh (NZL) - Starboard
Wind & Sea Conditions:
- AM Wind: 180° 6-12kts
- PM Wind: 180° 18-6kts
- AM Sea State: Flat
- PM Sea State: Flat
- Dock Out: 1100hrs
- Dock In: 1630hrs
- Time sailed: 5hrs
Recon Unit Report - ETNZ assigned team - 24 April 2026:
Key Points:
- Stable platform and manoeuvre refinement in moderate southerly
- Upwind mode bands defined (185°–205° range)
- Increased focus on light-air handling and roll techniques
- Sail testing with M2 & J2-3 (more active main leech than normal today)
The team rolled out at 09:17hrs, stepping straight into a structured setup phase with Mast 3 and M2 configurations confirmed through the late morning. Off the dock at 1100hrs - J4-2 was selected as the working headsail.
Initial warm-up (11:50hrs–12:00hrs) focused on gybes and tacks in a 12kt southerly. The platform remained notably flat, with good control through maneuvers. There was a centerline traveller catch.
Transitioning modes upwind (12:19hrs),
185° identified - high mode heading
205° as rebuild
200° as baseline
As the breeze softened to ~10kts (12:30), emphasis shifted toward increasing leeward heel into manoeuvres, improving catch and transition efficiency.
A scheduled stop at 12:40hrs allowed for checks, followed by a battery change at 13:15hrs. Shortly after, the jib was dropped and briefly put in the water, sail adjustments made and rehoisted.
Afternoon session resumed at the bottom end of Waiheke (14:00) in 12–18kts. Pre-start work and boat entry drills were the focus, with most manoeuvring with both boards down.
At 15:09hrs, a change to J2-3 coincided with a tow period, to the Back Paddock with a long upwind and downwind testing period in lighter winds. Conditions eased significantly to ~6kts by 15:30hrs in the Back Paddock - Course E from the 2021 America's Cup.
The final session (16:00 onwards) concentrated on light-air technique:
- Rudder ventilation noted as a key issue
- Light-air gybes and tacks are practised extensively
- Strong focus on leeward roll mechanics
- Traveller consistently brought fully up into tacks
Sailing concluded at 16:16hrs.
Additional Images: