Jo Aleh talks through her first days sailing onboard Emirates Team New Zealand’s AC38 cup-legal AC75, Taihoro.
The double Olympic medallist discusses her developing role on the boat, why the team placed her on starboard, and what surprised her about how the AC75 compares to the AC40.
Emirates Team New Zealand have now sailed their AC38 cup-legal AC75 on three days since the roll-out, all under RECON surveillance as required by the AC38 Protocol, which limits them to 45 days in 2026.
They are the only AC38 team to have completed the redesign and modification of their AC75 and relaunched.
Such express progress is undoubtedly gaining them a considerable advantage, adding to the advantage that they displayed when winning the last America’s Cup in Barcelona.
The challengers have only managed to sail their AC40 boats to date (no rule changes or RECON required) and have yet to roll-out their modified AC75s.
The latest to get afloat was the renamed France team, La Roche-Posay Racing Team, in their AC40 out of Lorient, Brittany.
