America’s Cup: Liv Mackay, Leo Takahashi get time at helm as Team New Zealand begin two-boat testing

Team New Zealand had two AC40s out on the water this week. Photo: Supplied/ETNZ

A new America’s Cup campaign has seen a change in Emirates Team New Zealand’s preparation, with the scaled-down AC40s opening new opportunities.

For the first time in more than a decade, the team were able to get two boats out on the water, running some match-racing scenarios in a three-and-a-half-hour session.

The familiar suspects were getting more time on the water in one vessel, with Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge at the wheel of the dual-helm boats, and Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney sharing wing trimming duties. On the other, “prospective” members of the women’s and youth America’s Cup teams Liv Mackay and Leo Takahashi split time on the port-side helm, with Josh Junior on starboard. Sam Meech and Marcus Hansen were in the trimming seats.

With the AC40 being the boat raced in the women’s and youth America’s Cup in Barcelona next year, sessions such as Thursday’s provide a steep but rewarding learning curve for those sailors who have not had a chance to race the foiling monohulls before.

For Mackay, it’s another addition to her foiling experience. In 2022, Mackay was skipper of the Live Ocean Racing team – a team put together by Burling and Tuke as an independent extension of their Live Ocean conservation charity – to compete in the ETF 26 Grand Prix.

The series was a five-event racing on foiling catamarans, and the team also included elite Kiwi sailors Erica Dawson, Jo Aleh, Molly Meech and Alex Maloney. Mackay, Dawson and Aleh are also part of the New Zealand SailGP team, which adds to their foiling experience.

Liv Mackay spent plenty of time at the helm of one of Team New Zealand's AC40s on Thursday. Photo: Supplied/ETNZ

While the boats raced in the EFT 26 Grand Prix and SailGP differ from the foiling monohulls of the America’s Cup, as both are foiling catamarans, Mackay has settled in well in the change of vessel.

“I just can’t get enough, it is awesome sailing,” Mackay said of the AC40.

“I can’t wait for more women and youth teams to get on the AC40. They are so fun, a bit like a go-cart. So, it is going to be some awesome racing and a big step up in skillset which is going to be so, so good for all of us.”

Not since 2012 has Emirates Team New Zealand had two boats together on the water, when a couple of SL33 catamarans were used to verify the significance of foiling versus non-foiling in the America’s Cup.

Takahashi, who represented Japan in the 49er class at the Tokyo Olympics and was part of the Japanese SailGP team before the team was dropped by the league, said the vessel was like nothing he had ever sailed – highlighting the importance of getting time at the helm.

“I think we got a lot out of it and for me straight into the deep end, but really grateful for the opportunity. Everyone has been really good to me and the learning has been super steep but (I’m) just getting the hang of it and looking forward to the next few weeks to come.”