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WOMEN & YOUTHEmirates Team
New Zealand Women & Youth
Sailing for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, Emirates Team New Zealand traces its America’s Cup origins back to 1987. After three earlier campaigns, the team claimed the trophy in 1995, famously making it “New Zealand’s Cup”, and successfully defended it on home waters in 2000. Following periods of Swiss and American successes, the team, led by CEO Grant Dalton since 2003, dramatically reclaimed the Cup in Bermuda in 2017, showcasing groundbreaking innovation such as pedal-powered ‘Cyclors’ on their foiling catamaran. Since then, the Kiwis have successfully defended the trophy twice more: in Auckland in 2021 against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and in Barcelona in 2024 against INEOS Britannia. With five overall victories, including an unprecedented three consecutive wins, they stand as the most successful team of the modern era and were named World Sailing’s “Team of the Year” in 2025.
WOMEN & YOUTHEmirates Team
New Zealand Women & YouthSailing for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, Emirates Team New Zealand traces its America’s Cup origins back to 1987. After three earlier campaigns, the team claimed the trophy in 1995, famously making it “New Zealand’s Cup”, and successfully defended it on home waters in 2000. Following periods of Swiss and American successes, the team, led by CEO Grant Dalton since 2003, dramatically reclaimed the Cup in Bermuda in 2017, showcasing groundbreaking innovation such as pedal-powered ‘Cyclors’ on their foiling catamaran. Since then, the Kiwis have successfully defended the trophy twice more: in Auckland in 2021 against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and in Barcelona in 2024 against INEOS Britannia. With five overall victories, including an unprecedented three consecutive wins, they stand as the most successful team of the modern era and were named World Sailing’s “Team of the Year” in 2025.
DEFENDER
NEW ZEALAND
ROYAL NEW ZEALAND YACHT SQUADRON
NO. OF CAMPAIGNS: 12
NO. OF WINS: 5
Sailing for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, Emirates Team New Zealand traces its America’s Cup origins back to 1987. After three earlier campaigns, the team claimed the trophy in 1995, famously making it “New Zealand’s Cup”, and successfully defended it on home waters in 2000. Following periods of Swiss and American successes, the team, led by CEO Grant Dalton since 2003, dramatically reclaimed the Cup in Bermuda in 2017, showcasing groundbreaking innovation such as pedal-powered ‘Cyclors’ on their foiling catamaran. Since then, the Kiwis have successfully defended the trophy twice more: in Auckland in 2021 against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and in Barcelona in 2024 against INEOS Britannia. With five overall victories, including an unprecedented three consecutive wins, they stand as the most successful team of the modern era and were named World Sailing’s “Team of the Year” in 2025.
For the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand remains a benchmark for performance and innovation. Olympic medallist Nathan Outteridge steps into the skipper role for 2027, leading an experienced and evolving sailing squad that blends proven America’s Cup talent with rising stars. Behind the scenes, a deeply experienced organisation, including long-time Chief Operating Officer Kevin Shoebridge, supports a flat, high-performance culture. The team is rebuilding and refining its 2024-winning AC75 Taihoro to meet new technical regulations while continuing to advance foils, aerodynamics, systems, and racecraft. Having pioneered the foiling AC75 and introduced the AC40 as a development platform, the team continues to push design boundaries under Chief Designer Dan Bernasconi. With five titles secured and aiming for a fourth consecutive win, Emirates Team New Zealand now prepares from its home base in Aotearoa New Zealand before defending sailing’s greatest prize in Naples in 2027.
America’s Cup Participations
2027 AC38 Naples . Defender
2024 AC37 Barcelona . WINNER
2021 AC36 Auckland . WINNER
2017 AC35 Bermuda . WINNER
2013 AC34 San Francisco . AC Match Finalist
2007 AC32 Valencia . AC Match Finalist
2003 AC31 Auckland . Defender
2000 AC30 Auckland . WINNER
1995 AC29 San Diego . WINNER
1992 AC28 San Diego . Louis Vuitton Cup Finalist
1988 AC27 San Diego . Deed of Gift Match (Finalist)
1987 AC26 Fremantle . Louis Vuitton Cup Finalist
Sailing Team
Nathan Outteridge Skipper
Andy Maloney Sailor
Jo Aleh Sailor
Chris Draper Sailor
Blair Tuke Sailor
Iain Jensen Sailor
Sam Meech Sailor
Seb Menzies Sailor
Josh Armit Sailor
Jake Pye Sailor
Ray Davies Head Coach
CREW
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Jake PyeSkipper/HelmAt just 20 years of age, Jake joins the team as the youngest sailor off the back of two impressive podium finishes in the 2024 (2nd) & 2025 (3rd) International Moth World Championships – one of the toughest foiling dinghy fleets in the world.
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Erica DawsonHelmOne familiar face on helm is Erica Dawson, an Olympic bronze medallist from Paris 2024 and a key figure in the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup campaign in Barcelona. Set to return for the Women’s team in Naples in 2027, Dawson brings first-hand high-performance racing experience and leadership to the squad as it takes shape.Erica’s Olympic dream started as she sailed as a crew in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Micah Wilkinson in the Nacra 17 where she was coached by Jo Aleh (ETNZ). The pair finished 12th overall. At Paris 2024, sailing with Micah Wilkinson, Erica won New Zealand's second sailing medal of the Olympics when they secured the bronze in the mixed multihull Nacra 17.
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Serena WoodallTrimmerSerena Woodall’s journey to the team began on the beaches of Waiheke Island, where she grew up. Entering the sport at age 12, her path was notably distinct from the traditional Olympic dinghy routes typically seen in New Zealand. Woodall honed her skills through the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Youth Training Programme and later the Women’s Match Racing World Tour where she was a member of the Edge Women's Match team that won the Women's World Match Racing Tour's inaugural Casa Vela Cup in San Francisco in 2023.
Reflecting on the surreal nature of her appointment, Woodall said: "Being brought into the sailing team for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup is a pretty surreal experience. We've been through quite a big trial period over the past few months, and now to officially be part of the team is a really cool moment. We've learned so much in this time, and just want to get stuck into it all. Being part of it for the past couple of months, you realise how important the role every single person plays in the whole team.”
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Josh ArmitTrimmerJosh got his first taste of the culture of Emirates Team New Zealand as part of the Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona. Prior to that, he narrowly missed a medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024 with a 4th place in the iQFoil fleet.