Emirates Team New Zealand has confirmed the two crews that will represent the team at the second Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta in Naples, with both the senior crew and the Women & Youth crew returning to the AC40s in a fleet grown to nine boats.
It's a repeat set-up from Cagliari back in May, but the stakes have shifted. This is the first time racing has taken place on the very waters that will host the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in 2027, making Naples a genuine data-gathering exercise as much as a contest.
Cagliari was the first real test in a live racing environment ahead of the America's Cup itself, giving both crews a chance to build race experience, try different crew combinations, and gather performance data against the rest of the fleet. The senior team made it through to the Match Race Final and finished runner-up, while the Women & Youth crew came home fifth.
Racing in a crowded fleet exposed exactly where the margins are: communication, consistency, manoeuvres, starting technique, racecraft, and split-second decisions under pressure. Those lessons have gone straight back into training, with both crews sharpening their approach ahead of Naples.
The senior line-up stays the same as Cagliari. Skipper Nathan Outteridge and Seb Menzies will again share the helm, with Andy Maloney and Iain Jensen on trim.
"It's less than two weeks until we race here in Naples," said Seb Menzies during a training session last week. "We are currently focussing on sharpening the AC40s ahead of the second Preliminary Regatta, and the whole team is super happy. It is a great atmosphere here in Naples."
Andy Maloney has been reflecting on the training blocks at the venue, and expects an unpredictable few days of racing. "The conditions in Naples are really dynamic. So, we can expect different teams to be leading every race in the Preliminary Regatta," said Maloney. "There may be a lot of movement on the scoreboard and being consistent across the three days of racing will be the key to making it into the Match Race Final."
The Women's & Youth crew again features Jake Pye and Erica Dawson on the helm, with Serena Woodall and Josh Armit trimming. There's a change in configuration, though: as part of a planned rotation from PR1 to PR2, the helm and trim sides have swapped, so Pye and Woodall now sail on starboard, with Dawson and Armit on port.
Cagliari was a steep learning curve for this crew, particularly around handling the pressure of the start line and staying consistent through a packed fleet. Since then they have put in serious hours training in Naples, getting to know the local conditions and sharpening their crew work.
"We've spent a lot of time over here in Naples over the past few months. We did a big block in July where we tried to take in as much as we can to learn about Naples itself," said Jake Pye. "It has been really cool to have the core group here at the venue, and sailing alongside the 'A-team' has been really good for us. So, we are really excited to see how this positions us for the second Preliminary Regatta."
Serena Woodall is looking forward to getting back on the water. "We are really excited to be getting back into racing with the Women's and Youth team. It is such an awesome opportunity to be lining up against the best in the sport. It is great to be getting more time in the boat together and excited to see what we can do on the racecourse."
The fleet itself has grown: eight boats raced in Cagliari, Naples will see nine, with American Racing Challenger Team USA joining the field. GB1 and Luna Rossa will again each run two entries, alongside single-boat campaigns from La Roche-Posay Racing Team and Tudor Team Alinghi. All have made the most of the extended training window before the first regatta proper on the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup racecourse.
Three days of fleet racing, plus practice sessions, await as the America's Cup teams return to the AC40s. Sunday brings a winner-takes-all Match Race Final between the top two boats.
For anyone following along, Naples offers the first real look at what to expect when the AC75s themselves arrive in the Bay of Naples for the main event, from May to July 2027.
