Emirates Team New Zealand is geared up and prepared for racing in Jeddah at the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta following a successful inaugural sailing session on the Red Sea. The team took to the waters in a 13-15 knot northwest breeze, fine-tuning their skills and equipment for the upcoming regatta.
The shore crews have been busy for the past week, setting up the team base and putting the team’s AC40 One Design ‘Te Kakahi’ back into race mode in the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina.
The team is keen to improve on their second place in the first Preliminary Event in Vilanova, Spain, after the series’ final was called off after winds were insufficient for racing.
It will be just the second time the six teams entered in the 2024 America’s Cup teams have lined up. It is also the final time the America’s Cup teams will race each other in the AC40s. The third and final Preliminary Event will be sailed in AC75s in Barcelona before the Louis Vuitton Cup starts in mid-August 2024.
The Emirates Team New Zealand sailing team lineup remains unchanged, with Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge on starboard and port helms, respectively, and Andy Maloney and Blair Tuke as trimmers. Josh Junior and Sam Meech are on standby as reserve sailors.
The weather forecast from team meteorologist Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham is ideal, with 8-13 knots from the NW, sunny weather, and temperatures of 30 degrees.
The Jeddah America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta presented by NEOM event schedule is:
- Wednesday, 29 November: Official Practice Race Day.
- Thursday 30 November: First Day of Racing (3 x Fleet Races) 1030hrs-1230hrs UTC / 2330hrs – 0130hrs NZT
- Friday 1 December: Second Day of Racing (3 x Fleet Races) 1030hrs-1230hrs UTC / 2330hrs – 0130hrs NZT
- Saturday 2 December: Third & Final Day of Racing (2 x Fleet Races & 1 x Final Match Race) 1030hrs-1230hrs UTC / 2330hrs – 0130hrs NZT
