‘Taihoro’ first out of the hall
Emirates Team New Zealand has become the first team in the new America’s Cup cycle to bring its AC75 ‘Taihoro’ back into the spotlight. The New Zealanders have thus made a strong initial statement, with the defending champions presenting the boat as the next major step on the road to defending their title in Naples in 2027.
Yet the real ‘aha’ moment – the new boat’s maiden voyage – failed to materialise. The reason was not a technical problem, but rather the decision not to take any unnecessary risks under the prevailing conditions. The wind picked up earlier and more strongly than expected. For a boat that, whilst looking familiar, had undergone a thorough overhaul in key areas, this was not the day for a maiden voyage. The mast was lowered again, the boat was brought back into the hangar, and the first day of sailing was postponed.
This decision already says a great deal about the new phase of the America’s Cup. Every day of testing is valuable. The boats are extremely complex, the loads are enormous, and the learning curve is steep. At the same time, the number of testing days is limited to 45 by mid-January 2027. Anyone who risks damage during an early stage of development loses not only equipment but, above all, time. A single lost test day can make a huge difference.
Not a completely new boat
Perhaps the most important point about ‘Taihoro’ is that this boat is not a completely new build. It is based on the existing AC75 platform, with which Emirates Team New Zealand already enjoyed success in the previous Cup cycle. This is a consequence of the current set of rules.
The 38th America’s Cup is, more so than previous editions, characterised by cost control, predictability and structural stabilisation. The competition is intended not only to remain technologically fascinating, but also to become more manageable from an economic perspective. For this reason, the teams are not permitted to develop completely new AC75 hulls. Instead, they must continue to work with the existing platforms and may only modify them within a precisely defined framework. This fundamentally changes the development approach of the Cup. The classic ‘big breakthrough’ in the form of a radically new boat design is being restricted. As a result, progress is shifting more towards the finer details. You can read more about the new set of rules in our Special articles.
Where the rules allow for changes
There is scope for changes, but it is clearly limited. Modifications were permitted in three main areas. Firstly, the cockpit could be reconfigured to adapt the layout to the crew’s changed working methods. Secondly, structural modifications were permitted to a limited extent, provided that the basic shape of the fuselage was retained. In addition, functional recesses and detailed adjustments were made with the aim of improving aerodynamic efficiency.
Batteries instead of pedals
One of the most visible consequences of the new regulations is the end of the ‘cyclists’. The athletes who generated hydraulic power with their legs in previous Cups are now banned. They are being replaced by a standardised battery system. This changes the boat’s design, its energy management and the roles on board. Whereas raw physical endurance used to be part of the overall concept, the management of limited energy resources is now coming more to the fore.
Added to this is a significant change in terms of sports policy: at the 38th America’s Cup, at least one woman must be on board every AC75. For the New Zealand team, this is expected to be Jo Aleh, the 49erFX Olympic gold and silver medallist. This is not only symbolically significant, but also has concrete sporting and organisational implications. The path from junior and women’s competitions to the main Cup itself is thus much clearer than it used to be.
It was not yet clear at the rollout how the new crew concept would affect the distribution of crew members in the cockpit. There were simply no photos from the deck. Previously, there was one helmsman, one sail trimmer and two rowers on each side of the boat, and the positions were not rotated. Now the core crew consists of five active members, including one woman, as well as a guest sailor.
Earlier take-off as a clear development priority
Dan Bernasconi, the New Zealand team’s chief designer, made it clear at the launch of ‘Taihoro’ why a boat that looks familiar on the outside can nevertheless represent a significant step forward in terms of its internal design. He said that whilst the hull remains the most striking feature of a Cup boat, its significance in terms of performance is often overestimated. This is because the hulls spend so much time out of the water that the differences in their performance are smaller than many people assume.
Bernasconi also stated very clearly where Team New Zealand expects to see the greatest immediate improvement in performance. “The biggest difference in performance will be an earlier lift-off.” By this he means reaching a stable foiling state more quickly, particularly in light winds.
This improvement was achieved primarily through weight reduction. “We’ve taken a fair bit of weight out of the boat.” Interestingly, Bernasconi also highlights the other side of the coin. A lighter boat does not automatically offer only advantages in all conditions. Especially as the weight has apparently been reduced largely on the foil arms, the windward arm of which contributes to the lifting moment. “In strong winds, the boat would therefore be slower on paper. However, we compensate for this with better foils, better sails and better control systems. Overall, the top speed will probably remain similar or even increase slightly. In lighter winds, the difference is likely to be greater.”
Will the upcoming cup be exciting?
This is precisely why the new America’s Cup is likely to be even more closely contested. With new hulls no longer required, costs more strictly capped, the cycle shortened and the areas of development shifting towards highly complex details, the teams tend to become more evenly matched. Bernasconi expects that the racing is likely to be much closer between all the teams this time round.
The rollout and the interview with Dan Bernasconi
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital