STATEMENT ON LEGAL ACTION WITH EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND

October 12, 2026

In light of inaccurate statements made by Emirates Team New Zealand, North Sails feels compelled to address the recent legal proceedings it has been forced to initiate in response to Emirates Team New Zealand’s repeated and unjustified threats of patent infringement proceedings.

Emirates Team New Zealand misappropriated North Sails’ intellectual property to obtain a patent over sail technology that it is now threatening to enforce against its America’s Cup competitors, to the detriment of fair competition. North Sails has long sought to resolve the dispute amicably, but Emirates Team New Zealand has made clear that North Sails, as the exclusive supplier to those teams, is being targeted as a means to achieve its objectives.

North Sails is deeply disappointed that Emirates Team New Zealand has undermined the longstanding relationship of trust that has allowed North Sails to share its technology and expertise for the benefit of the sport. While North Sails has made every effort to avoid unnecessary legal escalation, it has ultimately been left with no choice but to take action to protect its intellectual property and its America’s Cup customers.

North Sails will make no further comment on the Emirates New Zealand arbitration process given the confidentiality of those proceedings.

We firmly believe the patent is invalid and are confident that our legal challenges will vindicate our position and prevent Emirates Team New Zealand from attempting to use the invalid patent to disrupt fair competition in the America’s Cup. To date, Emirates Team New Zealand has not addressed the substantive challenges to the patent’s validity, choosing instead to focus on procedural and jurisdictional arguments. We look forward to our challenges being addressed on their merits.

North Sails is the exclusive sail supplier to every team competing in the 38th America’s Cup and has proudly supported every America’s Cup defender and challenger since 1980.