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A new era is taking shape at Emirates Team New Zealand with Olympic champion Jo Aleh leading four new faces into the sailing line-up for the defence of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples in 2027.
Aleh is set to make history as one of the first women to race on the AC75, joining fellow Kiwis Seb Menzies, Josh Armit, and Jake Pye - an exciting blend of Olympic experience and next-generation talent. Armit and Menzies are both part of Yachting New Zealand’s high-performance programme, while Aleh was a long-time member before stepping away from Olympic sailing after the Paris 2024 Games.
The quartet will strengthen the core AC75 sailing team of Nathan Outteridge, Andy Maloney, Blair Tuke, Chris Draper, and Sam Meech as Emirates Team New Zealand begins its campaign to defend the America’s Cup.
Almost a year to the day since their triumph in Barcelona, the team is back on the water in Auckland with its AC40.
Each of the new sailors has been recognised for outstanding performances across a range of classes on the global stage, with Aleh, Menzies, and Armit previously part of Emirates Team New Zealand’s Women and Youth squads during the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.
Aleh, a two-time Olympic medallist and former Female World Sailor of the Year, was one of the helms in the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup.
Jo Aleh is one of four new sailors to join Emirates Team New Zealand for the 38th America's Cup. Photos / Emirates Team New Zealand
"This has been a dream of mine for a long time," said Aleh. "I had a great time being part of the team last year at the Women's America's Cup, and to now have the opportunity to step up into the AC75 as part of the full sailing team is super exciting. The 38th America's Cup will be a real milestone for women in sailing, and I feel very privileged to be part of that and hopefully one of the first women racing on the AC75s."
Armit and Menzies also gained invaluable experience in Barcelona as part of the Youth America's Cup. Armit narrowly missed a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing fourth in the iQFOiL, while Menzies' selection follows his victory with George Lee Rush at the 2025 49er European Championships.
"Last year in the Youth America's Cup I learned a lot about the team's professionalism. It's a team I've always aspired to be part of," said Menzies. "We're learning so much from the senior guys already, getting stuck into the simulator, and really looking forward to sailing the AC75. Just being able to sail the boat that defended the America's Cup is going to be a big thing."
Armit said his time with the team in Barcelona fuelled his hunger.
"Looking back, I think I learned so much over that time and it really helped me a lot in my sailing in general. I came away hungry for more, the team environment really caught me and I was eager to come back and really push for more and to be a part of the team to win the America's Cup again."
At just 20, Pye joins as the youngest sailor, following podium finishes at the 2024 and 2025 Moth World Championships.
"It was pretty epic to get the call-up from Nathan, Andy, and the team," he said. "It's such a good atmosphere with a great bunch of people all striving toward one goal. I’m ready to push with this team as hard as I can."
COO Kevin Shoebridge said the announcement marks one of the most exciting moments in the team's ongoing evolution.
"There has been a huge amount going on in the base this year, but getting back out on the water for the first time since the day we won in Barcelona, as well as announcing the exciting new sailors joining the team is a big moment," he said.
"It is always very motivating to the team any time we bring in a new talent, no matter what the department. But for the four new sailors, they have earned their place in the sailing team through a huge amount of dedication, and as much as the America's Cup is about winning, it’s also about building the future strength of the sailing team. They have raw talent, and paired with the experience of Nathan as skipper and our senior guys, we know they and the rest of the team will make New Zealand proud." - with Emirates Team New Zealand
