The Preliminary Regatta Sardinia gave the sailing world its first proper look at the 38th America’s Cup cycle, and Emirates Team New Zealand’s full highlights reel from Cagliari is essential viewing for anyone tracking the road to Naples. Over three days in the Bay of Angels, seven identical AC40s went bow to bow in conditions that swung from tight, technical pre-starts to breeze that had crews simply trying to keep their masts upright.
Two Crews at the Preliminary Regatta Sardinia
What stands out immediately is how the defenders split their firepower. Nathan Outteridge co-helms boat one alongside rising talent Seb Menzies, with Ian Jensen and veteran Andy Maloney rounding out a trim team built on Cup-winning pedigree. Running parallel is the women’s and youth entry, where Olympic bronze medallist Erica Dawson shares the helm with young Moth sailor Jake Pye, backed by Josh Armit and Serena Witherall. That dual-programme structure, pairing experience with emerging talent, echoes the broader push across the fleet to develop the next generation of AC40 sailors — a theme our own look at the British sailing pathway has tracked closely this season.
Racing That Rewards Nerve
The footage captures some genuinely gutsy calls, none more so than Emirates Team New Zealand nailing a port-side flyer at a start that most of the fleet played safe, converting it into a race win despite two Italian boats bearing down at the top mark. Elsewhere the racing is scrappier than the results suggest — multiple over-the-line calls, a French penalty, and a points table that had four teams locked together at one stage. The series builds to a match race final on day three, closing with a short post-race interview from Outteridge that offers a candid read on where the defenders’ pace actually sits. For a full breakdown of every race, the complete Preliminary Regatta Sardinia highlights package is worth the seventeen minutes. It’s an early data point, but with Naples looming, an important one.
Video courtesy of Emirates Team New Zealand — watch the full video on YouTube.
