When Seb Menzies first started sailing at the age of eight, he reckons his dad signed him up without telling him. He would not have imagined then that he would go on to represent Emirates Team New Zealand at the 2027 America’s Cup, or be in line to co-helm the team’s AC75, Taihoro.
Menzies has already stepped onto that path, identified as one of the young sailors shaping the future of Emirates Team New Zealand. He has quickly established himself among New Zealand’s leading talents, underlined by his win at the 2025 49er European Championship. A multiple Yachting New Zealand award winner and a nominee for the 2025 World Sailing Young Sailor of the Year, he is now part of the team’s sailing programme.
He joined Emirates Team New Zealand in late 2025 and became embedded within the team’s programme, working through simulators and AC40 sessions, while spending time around the AC75 setup. He said:
“We are learning so much off the more senior guys already. Just being able to sail the boat that defended the America’s Cup is going to be a big thing.”
It was a step up in scale, speed, and pressure, but one he has settled into quickly. Recent sessions on the water have given him time at the helm. For now, “We’re just working on pushing the boat and going through the process of it.”
That composure reflects a pathway built over nearly a decade.
Menzies first made his mark with a win at the Optimist national championships in 2017. From there, the progression was quick. Sailing with Blake McGlashan, he won the 420 World Championships in 2018 against a fleet of 167 boats, before backing it up with a silver the following year. Later in 2019, he claimed the Youth Sailing World Championship title, confirming his standing as one of New Zealand’s top young sailors.
From there, the move through the high-performance classes was direct. A European title in the 29er class in 2022 led into the Olympic 49er, where he now sails with George Lee Rush. The pair won the 2025 European Championship and are building toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Alongside the skiff campaign, Menzies has developed in foiling classes, finishing fourth at the 2024 Moth World Championships.
It is this mix of skiff racing and foiling that defines the modern America’s Cup sailor. Within Emirates Team New Zealand, that progression is deliberate. Younger sailors are brought through systems that build familiarity with the boats, the controls, and the demands of the role long before they are asked to lead.
Menzies now sits within that group, building experience behind established driver Nathan Outteridge as the team builds toward its 2027 campaign.
