America's Cup
Team New Zealand AC75 Nearly Capsizes in Training
Publié · Dernière vérification octobre 2026
Emirates Team New Zealand's AC75 fell off its foils and briefly looked close to capsizing during training in the Hauraki Gulf on Friday 9 October 2026. The team put it down to a technical issue, fixed during a short break. The boat was sailing in very light wind, between about 2.5 and 6 knots.
What happened
The session took place between Rangitoto and Takapuna on day 24 of the team's 2026 testing. In the early afternoon, shortly after starting a downwind leg on port tack, the AC75 came down off its foils and heeled sharply before recovering. According to the report, the boat had come off its foils several times earlier in the day, mostly when tacking from port to starboard. Chris Draper said a technical issue was to blame, and it was fixed during a break at 13:25.
Conditions were very light: 7 to 9 knots from the north-north-east in the morning, easing to 4 to 7 in the afternoon, at one point dropping to about 2.5 knots, all on flat water. Seb Menzies and Nathan Outteridge were helming, with Iain Jensen and Andy Maloney trimming and Jo Aleh in the fifth crew position.
Why light air is hard for foilers
A foiling yacht needs enough speed for its foils to lift the whole boat. In very light wind, every manoeuvre risks the boat slowing below take-off speed and dropping back into the water, which is exactly when it is least stable. Our guide to how foiling sailboats work explains the physics.
The road to Naples
The next America's Cup will be raced in Naples, Italy. Under the class rules each team has a limited number of sailing days: the report gives Team New Zealand a quota of 45 for 2026 and Luna Rossa 49.