Emirates Team New Zealand has confirmed the two crews it will send to the America's Cup Preliminary Regatta in Sardinia, with racing scheduled to run from 21 to 24 May 2026. The Defender will field a pair of AC40s in what shapes as a fiercely contested eight-boat fleet, giving the senior race programme a chance to refine its fleet-racing skills while pushing the Women and Youth campaigns onto a genuinely competitive international stage.
The first crew draws on both established Cup pedigree and a rising generation of talent. Nathan Outteridge and Seb Menzies will share the helm, with Andy Maloney and Iain Jensen taking trimming duties. The combination threads the tactical experience of the core AC75 afterguard together with the momentum the younger members have been building through training.
Outteridge has been direct about what the event will demand of the squad. "Cagliari is going to be a real test of our combinations and communication in a fleet racing environment, and having two boats on the start line allows us to push our internal standards higher than ever," he said. "The AC40s reward consistency and quick decision-making in the heat of the moment. Our goal is to stay clean through the fleet races and ensure we are at least one of the two boats standing for the match race final on Sunday."
Sailing under the Emirates Team New Zealand Women & Youth banner, the second entry pairs Erica Dawson and Jake Pye at the helm, with Serena Woodall and Josh Armit as trimmers. The crew has completed considerable work across training blocks on the Waitematā, and their inclusion reflects the depth of the organisation's commitment to its development pathway.
Dawson is clear about the significance of the opportunity. "To line up in an eight-boat fleet against the main America's Cup teams is a massive opportunity for our development," she said. "We've put in the hours in the simulator and during our internal two-boat testing, but nothing replicates the pressure of a live start line in Sardinia. We aren't just here to fill a spot on the grid; we are here to challenge the fleet and prove the strength of the New Zealand programme."
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Blair Tuke, a three-time America's Cup winner, is absent from the sailing roster, moving into a more executive and strategic function within the organisation. His focus now centres on the speed development of Taihoro and the wider performance of the sailing team as preparation builds towards the America's Cup Defence in Naples in 2027.
Tuke shared his thoughts on both the Cagliari crews and the shift in his own role. "When looking at the crew make-up we have in place for Cagliari, it is a very exciting time for the team, it is a powerful mix of experience and raw, youthful talent so to have two boats competing alongside each other for the first time will be really interesting for the teams development," he said. "From a personal perspective, I am really excited by the challenge of transitioning into another phase of my career within a team I have had such success with. The team as a whole is under no illusions as to how tough a 4th straight defence will be, so playing my part and utilising my experience will hopefully continue to contribute to its ongoing success."
The full fleet for the regatta comprises the two Emirates Team New Zealand AC40s alongside dual entries from GB1 and Luna Rossa, with La Roche-Posay Racing Team and Tudor Team Alinghi each running a single boat. The programme begins with official practice on Thursday 21 May. Three fleet races on each of Friday and Saturday give every team the chance to settle into competitive rhythm, before Sunday's format raises the stakes considerably: two final fleet races determine the overall standings, then a winner-takes-all match race final between the top two teams settles who lifts the Cagliari title.
Eight AC40s capable of topping 45 knots in tight racing on the Gulf of Angels makes the Preliminary Regatta Sardinia a revealing early benchmark for every programme with its sights set on the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup.
