As the AC40s prepare to line up once again on the start line in Sardinia for the latest preliminary regatta, Emirates Team New Zealand has offered a striking visual reminder of just how far America’s Cup class boats have evolved — from their very first sail to the cutting-edge foiling machines competing today.
The progression is nothing short of extraordinary. What began with conventional monohulls slicing through the water has transformed into a world of flying boats that barely touch the surface, a technological arc that mirrors the ambition and innovation at the heart of the America’s Cup itself.
The AC40: A New Standard in Cup Racing
The AC40 has become the backbone of the America’s Cup preliminary regatta circuit, serving as both the one-design platform for the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup and a critical development tool for the senior teams. At 40 feet, these foiling monohulls pack remarkable performance into a relatively compact package, regularly achieving speeds well in excess of 30 knots in the right conditions.
Designed under the oversight of the America’s Cup technical team, the AC40 was conceived to provide close, competitive racing while giving teams and sailors meaningful experience on foiling platforms that share key DNA with the larger AC75 class. The boat features twin T-foils, a rigid wing-sail element combined with a soft sail, and fly-by-wire control systems that demand extraordinary coordination from small crews.
For Emirates Team New Zealand, the AC40 program has been integral to their broader campaign. As the Defender of the America’s Cup, ETNZ has used the class not only to test emerging talent but also to refine design concepts and sailing techniques that feed directly into their AC75 development.
Sardinia Calling
The return to Sardinian waters marks another chapter in the preliminary regatta series that has become a vital part of the modern America’s Cup cycle. Sardinia, with its reliable Mediterranean breeze and stunning coastal racing venues, has established itself as a premier destination for Cup-class competition. The island’s waters provide a testing ground where teams can race in varied wind and sea states, extracting valuable performance data while putting on a spectacular show for fans ashore and watching worldwide.
These preliminary regattas serve a dual purpose. They generate competitive intensity and public engagement in the years between America’s Cup match events, while also giving teams real race-day pressure that no amount of training can replicate. Start-line tactics, foil management in close quarters, and the ability to execute under match-racing pressure are all skills sharpened on days like those ahead in Sardinia.
A Century and a Half of Evolution
The evolution of America’s Cup class boats is one of the great stories in all of sport. From the gaff-rigged schooner America, which won the inaugural race around the Isle of Wight in 1851, through the mighty J-Class yachts of the 1930s, the 12-Metre era that dominated the postwar decades, and into the explosive multihull and foiling age, each generation of Cup boat has pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible on the water.
The shift to foiling began in earnest with the AC72 catamarans in 2013, when Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand turned San Francisco Bay into a showcase of breathtaking speed and drama. The transition to the foiling monohull AC75 for the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland further revolutionized the class, proving that monohulls could fly with stability and blistering pace.
Now, with the AC40 carrying that design philosophy into a more accessible format, the technology continues to trickle through the fleet. Younger sailors are learning to foil at the highest level, women’s teams are competing on identical platforms, and the design lessons flow in both directions — from AC40 racing back into the senior AC75 programs and vice versa.
Emirates Team New Zealand’s Continued Ambition
For ETNZ, the journey from first sail to today is deeply personal. The New Zealand syndicate has been at the forefront of Cup innovation for decades, from their groundbreaking use of cycling-style grinders to their pioneering work on foil cant systems. Their willingness to push design boundaries has earned them multiple America’s Cup victories and cemented their reputation as one of the most technically adventurous teams in the sport’s history.
As the AC40 fleet converges on Sardinia, all eyes will be on how teams have developed since the last regatta. With the next America’s Cup cycle building momentum, every race on the preliminary circuit carries weight — not just in the standings, but in the lessons learned and the confidence gained. The start line in Sardinia promises another chapter in the ongoing evolution of the fastest and most advanced racing sailboats ever built.
