Dream team
Olympic gold medalists and defending America’s Cup champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke announce their team to compete in SailGP Season 2.
03 February 2021
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The New Zealand SailGP Team, in partnership with Live Ocean, announces the team competing in SailGP Season 2.
The New Zealand SailGP Team co-CEOs named the squad that features Olympic, round-the-world and America’s Cup sailors from up and down the country.
In addition to Burling (30) of Tauranga and Tuke (31) of Kerikeri, the team includes Andy Maloney (30) of Kerikeri; Josh Junior (31) of Wellington; Marcus Hansen (28) of Whangarei; and Louis Sinclair (29) of Wairoa.
The New Zealand SailGP Team brings an impressive range of skill and experience to SailGP. Between them, they come with extensive experience in foiling high-tech boats as well as world-class, high-performance sailing campaigns across 49er, Nacra and Finn Olympic classes, and round-the-world editions.
Burling said, “For now, the majority of the team is head down, focused on the defence of the America’s Cup with Emirates Team New Zealand in March, but it’s a great milestone to announce such a strong line-up of sailors to join us in our first SailGP season.”
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The team also includes the successful candidates from the New Zealand SailGP Team female development program: Liv Mackay (24) of Napier and Erica Dawson (27) of Auckland. The program, launched last year, aims to fast-track the inclusion of female athletes in the league.
The program’s initial phase sees Mackay and Dawson immersed in the team for the opening event of the season in Bermuda in April. Following the pre-season training and development in Bermuda, at least one of the athletes will be selected to join the team for the rest of SailGP Season 2.
Tuke said, “While this is a small step in working toward gender equality in sailing, we are committed to creating more opportunities for women in professional sailing.”
Like Burling and Tuke, many New Zealand SailGP Team members will combine Olympic campaigns with the SailGP league.
“We believe a constant high-performance environment gives our team members incredible development opportunities and keeps them at the top of their game,” continued Tuke.
The New Zealand SailGP Team will support its Race for the Future charity partner Live Ocean, the marine conservation organisation founded by Burling and Tuke.
“All the New Zealand SailGP Team members are passionate about the ocean, and we’re excited to step up as champions for a healthy ocean on the world stage. The race for a live ocean is on,” concluded Burling.
SailGP Season 2 was postponed due to COVID-19 and is rescheduled to start in Bermuda (24–25 April), Taranto (ITA, 5–6 June), Plymouth (GBR, 17–18 July), Aarhus (DEN, 20–21 August), Saint-Tropez (FRA, 11–12 September) and Cádiz (ESP, 9–10 October).
SailGP will also make its first visit to Christchurch for New Zealand’s maiden grand prix on 29–30 January 2022. The season will culminate with the Grand Final in San Francisco on 26–27 March 2022, when the champion will be determined in a single $1 million winner-takes-all final.
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