The buzz around Cagliari is unmistakable. Hotels and restaurants are filled with America's Cup teams and their supporters as the AC40s hit the water ahead of the first America's Cup Preliminary Regatta, with anticipation growing by the hour.
Behind the scenes, Emirates Team New Zealand has spent the past week on an intensive logistical push. Shore crew and support staff have tackled the considerable job of establishing the team's Cagliari base, assembling both AC40s and getting every moving part in place before competitive sailing begins.
The opening three days out on the Gulf of Angels threw almost every condition imaginable at the squad. From glassy, near-windless surfaces to thunderstorms, rolling swells, sudden wind shutdowns, a bruising 30-knot Mistral, and a clean 15-knot sea breeze, the team's ability to adapt has already been put through its paces. The forecast for the weekend racing window looks considerably kinder, with 10 to 15 knots expected out of the southwest.
Seb Menzies rejoined the squad carrying fresh momentum from his 49er World Championship victory, collecting a quick congratulatory pat on the back before stepping straight into the boat. His first session back on the AC40 coincided with an all-eight-team attempt at practice racing, though fickle and inadequate breeze made meaningful competition impossible. Menzies shares helm duties with skipper Nathan Outteridge, with Andy Maloney and Iain Jensen in the trimming seats.
"I was at the 49er Worlds in France competing there a couple of days ago and then today just rejoined the team. So, it is really awesome transitioning between two such different things," Menzies said.
"We went out for the first day today and had all the boats out there attempting some practice racing, but it was super light and caught between two breezes. We got a lot out of it and a lot of light wind training so it was not bad."
Over on the Women's and Youth AC40, helm Erica Dawson is working with a newly formed crew. Jake Pye joins her on the other helm, with Serena Woodall and Josh Armit filling the trimming roles. Back on an AC40 for the first time since the Women's America's Cup in Barcelona in 2024, Dawson is looking forward to racing getting underway on Friday, 22 May 2026.
"We have an awesome crew on our boat and our learning curve is so steep," Dawson explained. "We are figuring things out together, and when I say together, it is with the entire Emirates Team New Zealand team we have up here. We have an incredible shore crew, support crew and engineers that all play a big part in the overall performance. But for us sailors, we are really looking forward to getting into the fleet and excited to mix it up during practice racing initially and then into the main event from Friday."
Two more training days remain before the regatta opens, with Thursday designated as the Official Practice Race Day. Racing proper begins on Friday, with all action available to watch both live and on replay.
