America’s Cup: Pursuit of performance

Development never stops in the America’s Cup, and with Europe basking in record temperatures making sailing a joy for La Roche-Posay Racing Team (FRA) and Luna Rossa (ITA), it was a very different story down in mid-winter Auckland for Emirates Team New Zealand with the team recalled from humid Naples for a re-launch of what appears to be a much-upgraded AC72 Taihoro.

The phrase ‘systems controls’ is much used in the America’s Cup and it’s where big gains are being found. Controlling the sail shapes and then pre-setting those shapes so they can be accurately reproduced across a wide variety of conditions is what all the teams are seeking at this stage of the campaign.

Data is then fed back in real-time both to shore teams with the designers and sailmakers in situ, whilst on the water the telemetry is being captured and crunched in the Chase Boats.

For ETNZ, the on-water Recon Team noted far more ability to control the middle of the mainsail than we’ve ever seen before and the team did long runs to start evaluating just how much speed they can develop across what ended up being an all-range conditions day.

The team took time to launch their mainsail, perhaps indicating new tech inside the double-skin and some of their maneuvers, particularly on exit, surprised the Recon Team for their lack of consistency – again indicating that the sailors were working on variables in trim. Foil development which is so often such a focus of AC75 tuning up, will come later in the program, for now it’s all about the aero package.

A similar observation was made by the Recon Team in Cagliari observing Luna Rossa who noted new camber stripes towards the top of the mainsail and also noted: “As on previous days, the mainsail head leech tended to remain quite open, leaving a visible gap between the two skins on some modes.”

Furthermore, when the boat came to a stop in the middle of the session, technicians jumped onboard to look at the first batten hardware as well as looking at the mainsail traveler which is hidden beneath the fairings and is where Peter Burling has been focusing a lot of attention in recent sessions. The team members obscured the recon view so it couldn’t be ascertained whether it was a hydraulic issue or something else.

La Roche-Posay Racing Team meanwhile were in full commissioning mode having been almost a month off the water in Lorient after their capsize and subsequent lithium battery flare-up that caused a fire and smoke to emit from the transom.

On the dock, the technicians were particularly interested in the Cunningham systems which effectively de-power the sails as the boat goes faster and faster, as well as the traveler system which is where the most likely cause of the capsize a month ago lay.

Once up and running, the sailing team led by Quentin Delapierre and Diego Botin looked terrific and very comfortable through most maneuvers and take-offs with a really stable flight in a straight line. La Roche-Posay Racing Team will amp up their training to catch-up on lost time in the coming days.

For more details from August 5, click here and scroll down.

Editor’s note: The remaining teams – GB1 (GBR), Tudor Team Alinghi (SUI), American Racing Challenger Team USA (USA), and Team Australia (AUS) – are not currently on the water with their AC72s.

Details: https://www.americascup.com/

Defender New Zealand and Challenger of Record from Great Britain confirmed the Protocol for the 38th America’s Cup on August 12, 2025. The close of the initial entry period was October 31, 2025, with late entries considered up to March 31, 2026.

Current entrants:
• Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) – Defender
• GB1 (GBR) – Challenger of Record
• Luna Rossa (ITA) – Challenger
• Tudor Team Alinghi (SUI) – Challenger
• La Roche-Posay Racing Team (FRA) – Challenger
• American Racing Challenger Team USA (USA) – Challenger
• Team Australia (AUS) – Challenger

After the 2024 event, Barcelona, Spain declined hosting another edition, with the venue moved to Naples, Italy. Challenger racing is May 22 to July 4 before the 38th Match on July 10-19. Full details.

Preliminary Regattas:*
May 22-24, 2026 – Cagliari, Italy
September 24-27 – Naples, Italy

* The Protocol noted how there would be as many Preliminary Regattas as possible, with the intent to have three during 2026 and one possibly in early 2027, and a final event at the Match Venue immediately prior to the challenger series. Only two have been thus far revealed.

Source: America’s Cup