Emirates Team New Zealand LEQ12 Day 35 Summary

The core Emirates Team New Zealand sailors stepped off a plane at Auckland International airport and almost straight onto the AC40 LEQ12 for what Nathan Outteridge described as: “the best way to get over jet lag is to stick the boys on a plane and get back into it.” It was a short session but highly valuable in perfect New Zealand early winter conditions with a 7-9 knot breeze and flat water ahead of a front moving into Auckland promising stronger for later in the week, that called for the dry-suits more for warmth than cover. What the design office were more than keen to test today was a switching of the new long span, gently arcing asymmetric starboard foil that the team were trialling up to the 12th June, over to the starboard side with the addition of a winglet on the outboard foil to stop ‘what the team calls tip loss’. Nathan Outteridge summed it up brilliantly afterwards saying: “The wing tips and everything on the outboard is just all about surface interaction and trying to make sure you’re not having air escape down the foil. We’re just trying various tips down the foils trying to see what we can put out there so when the foil does pierce the surface it has the least effect on the lift across the entire foil.” Section 41. Reconnaissance a) As a campaign cost reduction measure, COR/D has mutually agreed to cooperatively implement a centralised reconnaissance programme for all teams for the reconnaissance of all Competitors’ AC75 Yachts, AC40 Yachts and LEQ12 yachts including both on-land and on-water imagery (the “Joint Recon Programme”). b) Each team is assigned a two-person Recon Unit to follow their every on-water move, but it's not that simple. The cameras are supplied and identical for all Recon Units. Drones are not allowed, and they can't get that close, plus following a boat and keeping a camera steady at 45 knots isn't that easy to begin with. c) A three minute interview follows each on water day, and teams must answer the Recon Unit's questions while trying not to give too much away. It's a raw, unedited view of the never before seen behind-the-scenes development of a team and their boat to win the oldest trophy in international sports. #AC37Recon #AmericasCup #Barcelona2024