Team New Zealand defended the America's Cup in 2021. Photo: photosport
It is a curtain-raiser for the America's Cup but skipper Peter Burling says this week's preliminary regatta off Barcelona will be invaluable for Team New Zealand.
All six teams who will lock horns over the next two months in a bid to claim the Auld Mug will take part in the four-day regatta starting Thursday night - pitting their new AC75 boats against each other for the first time.
Burling said plenty is on the line for defenders Team NZ, less than eight weeks out from the start of the best-of-13 Cup Match that decides who claims the silverware.
Before then, Burling's team will take part in the round robin phase of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series (29 August - 11 September) and then watch closely from the semi-finals onwards (14-23 September), when they are no longer involved.
Burling said this week presents every team with a chance to land early psychological shots in their 23m monohulls and identify any late tweaks required before the Louis Vuitton Cup kicks off next Friday.
"It's really a chance for the teams to get through their processes and get ready to race," Burling said.
"It's starting up a big machine this week which is incredibly exciting for the sailors but also the buzz in the sailing community of finally being able to see these boats sailing again, so we are really looking forward to getting out and racing.
"It's been over three years since we last raced in the AC75's. In that three years, development doesn't stop. Everyone's been working incredibly hard in developing the boats, pushing the levels they can achieve around the racetrack and that's exactly what you'll see over the next month of the racing."
America's Cup defender Team New Zealand complete a testing session on their AC75 boat Taihoro. Photo: photosport
A crew of eight will board the Taihoro for their first series of match races tonight (midnight to 2.30am) starting against Luna Rossa, the Italian syndicate they beat to retain the America's Cup off Auckland in early 2021.
Burling said it was an exciting time after a long period of testing in the relative shadows.
"We love to race, and this is where the pressure comes on, but this is where the true test of the overall strength of the team is tested," Burling said.
"We have a long two months ahead of us, and this preliminary regatta is just the start, but obviously we want to get off to a good start so we will be putting our best foot forward in the next four days of racing."
For racing afficianados, one feature will be how each team's helmsmen and flight controller combine, with that element considered a key component of success in the AC75s - most notably in the pre-starts, where tactics will be critical and the cyclors must provide peak power.
Team NZ has experienced figures on those seats, with the helmsman duties shared between Burling and Nathan Outteridge while Andy Maloney and Blair Tuke are flight controllers.
The five challengers are Luna Rossa, Britain's INEOS Britannia, US outfits NYYC American Magic, Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing and late French entrant Orient Express Racing.