Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup 2027: Serena Woodall on the pathway that led to Emirates Team New Zealand dream realised in Cagliari debut

Less than three years ago, Serena Woodall was chasing opportunities wherever she could find them.

The Waiheke Island sailor was working her way through match-racing campaigns, foiling circuits, and professional yacht racing in Europe, determined to build a career in the sport she loved. 

The America's Cup remained a dream, but not necessarily one she expected to realise.

When Emirates Team New Zealand named its crews for the inaugural Youth and Women’s America’s Cup campaigns in Barcelona in late 2023, Woodall had been through the selection process but missed out.

"I trialled last time and didn't quite make the cut, so I thought that ship had sailed," Woodall said.

Instead, it is now foiling at breakneck speed.

After impressing during a series of internships and trials with Emirates Team New Zealand, Woodall earned a place in the wider sailing squad and last month found herself lining up against some of the world's best sailors in an AC40 at the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta in Cagliari, Sardinia.

It was a significant step towards helping shape Emirates Team New Zealand's challenge for Naples 2027, and for the 24-year-old, it was the fulfilment of a goal that had once seemed to slip away.

"Ever since I saw a pathway into the America's Cup, it's been a goal to join Emirates Team New Zealand," Woodall explained. "The past few months have been a bit of a whirlwind. To get on the start line against the senior America's Cup teams and other Youth and Women's teams so soon was priceless for my development."

Serena Woodall aboard the AC 40 in Cagliari. Photos / Emirates Team New Zealand

Cagliari marked Woodall's first competitive regatta in an AC40 – the foiling monohull that has become the proving ground for the next generation of America's Cup sailors.

Emirates Team New Zealand finished runner-up at the Preliminary Regatta behind Luna Rossa, while the Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s and Youth crew — featuring Woodall alongside Jake Pye, Erica Dawson and Josh Armit — placed fifth overall after a week of intense racing against senior America’s Cup teams and fellow development crews.

While the result was encouraging, the experience itself was even more valuable.

"The racing was incredible," Woodall said. "We got a whole range of conditions, and it was fast-paced, close racing throughout the event. There was a real atmosphere around Cagliari, and it was a special moment being there representing Emirates Team New Zealand."

The regatta was also a rare opportunity; despite the growing prominence of the AC40 class, relatively few major regattas have been contested in the boats.

"To get the opportunity to line up against other teams more than a year out from the Cup was invaluable in getting a feel for what the racing is like and how we're tracking from a performance perspective. We've now got a clearer picture of what we need to work on and where our focus needs to be going forward."

Woodall was no stranger to high-performance foiling before joining Emirates Team New Zealand.

She had already built an impressive sailing résumé through the 69F foiling circuit, the ETF26 series and international match-racing campaigns, while also working professionally aboard the famous J-Class yacht Rainbow.

Yet the AC40 represented another step entirely.

"The speed and control in the AC40s is definitely on another level," she said. "I'd had a taste of high-speed foiling on the ETF and 69F circuits, but the AC40's manoeuvrability and speed, both upwind and downwind, are a step up."

The Emirates Team New Zealand Women and Youth crew finished fifth overall in the Preliminary Regatta. Photos / Emirates Team New Zealand.

The learning curve has been steep, but one Woodall has embraced.

"This year, we've spent a lot of time in the AC40 simulator and building out our knowledge base in general. Coming into the wider sailing team has been an awesome opportunity to work with and learn from the senior sailors about both the AC40 and AC75.

"In Cagliari, we briefed and debriefed after each race day together as a wider sailing team, which really accelerated the learning curve."

Woodall's pathway to the America's Cup has been far from conventional - growing up on Waiheke Island, initially, sailing wasn't about elite competition.

"When I first started sailing, it was definitely more for the love of the sport," she recalled. "I was more drawn to the freedom it brought to get off the island, explore the Hauraki Gulf and spend time with my mates."

Unlike many elite sailors, Woodall did not emerge through the traditional Olympic pathway. Instead, she developed through the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's youth programme before building experience across a wide variety of disciplines, from match-racing to offshore racing and foiling classes.

That willingness to embrace different opportunities eventually took her to Europe.

Initially moving during the Covid-19 pandemic to compete on the 69F circuit and develop her foiling skills, Woodall later based herself permanently in Mallorca, balancing professional sailing with work aboard Rainbow.

"The past two years, I've been based in Mallorca full-time working on Rainbow. I moved over because an opportunity arose to compete in the 69F circuit, and with the introduction of the Youth America’s Cup, I thought it was a good way to upskill.

"That led to more sailing opportunities, and eventually it made sense to stay in Europe and base myself closer to the racing."

Erica Dawson (left) and Woodall joined Jake Pye and Josh Armit in the Women and Youth team. Photos / Emirates Team New Zealand

As Woodall's career has progressed, so too have the opportunities available to women in professional sailing.

"It is definitely an awesome time in the sport for females coming through, with more and more professional pathways opening up, whether that be ocean racing, SailGP or the America's Cup," she said. 

"For me, an Olympic campaign was never really an option, but I knew I wanted to make a career out of sailing. I found that saying 'yes' to as much as I could and gaining experience in as many different boats and teams as possible led to more opportunities.

"It’s finally recognised that there is space for women in our sport's top leagues, which is really motivating."

That message forms the core of the advice she now offers young sailors looking to follow a similar path.

"Say 'yes' to as much as you can, have fun and be curious,” Woodall said. "Often, it's hard to see the end goal or a clear pathway, but if you keep chipping away and showing up through the good and bad, good things will eventually come your way."