Off and racing
Successful sailing duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke visited Christchurch earlier this month in preparation for SailGP on Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour, 18-19 March 2023. Metropol editor Lynda Papesch caught up with them to talk tactics.
Olympic medallists, America’s Cup winners, and SailGP co-CEOs, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have truly earned a place in New Zealand’s sporting history already, and they show no signs
of slowing down.
Currently setting the pace with the New Zealand SailGP Team, the pair are planning tactics for their next races, here and abroad, racing at high speeds in their two tonne hydrofoiling catamaran.
The last time either of them raced in Lyttelton was between 10 and 15 years ago. Neither sees that as a problem.
“We’re all fast learners [the team], and have been together for a long time. Every time we take to the water, the skill level goes up, and up,” Peter says.
He adds that the team is always looking at how it can race the catamarans better.
“Usually a week out before the racing, we have a good feel for the course so we can fine tune things from there. And on the day depending on the conditions we’re racing in,” he adds.
With the inaugural New Zealand Sail Grand Prix now fully sold out, the Kiwis are guaranteed a packed home crowd when it foils on the ocean waves.
“We’re looking at various configurations to use at Lyttelton, where the harbour is completely different to courses [St Tropez, Cadiz, San Francisco] that we have raced to date.”
Different doesn’t mean bad, he says. For example, the catamarans foil faster in cooler water temperatures, so there’s a possibility they may even set a new record, exceeding 100kmh. Both are excited to show home fans what they can do.
The live-action sailing brings excitement on and off the water as they race against the best in the world, battling for supremacy in identical F50s.
ENCOURAGING WORDS
And both have advice for youngsters wanting to follow in their footsteps:
1. If you enjoy water sports, expand that interest to other water-based activities.
2. Make friends with like-mind mates, enjoying the same sports and activities.
3. Don’t just think sailing or racing. There are lots of opportunities for technicians, designers and support crew too.
SAILS ARE SET
Halfway through Season 3, the New Zealand SailGP Team sits second on the overall leaderboard – just four points behind defending champions, Australia. It’s an exciting turnaround for the Kiwi crew, who initially struggled to perform on the SailGP circuit, finishing fifth overall in Season 2.
The tides changed earlier this year when they took their first-ever event win at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth, followed by a comprehensive event win in Denmark, and a second-place finish in Saint-Tropez last month.
Burling says, “We’ve been on such a journey as a team and it’s been awesome to see so much momentum building. We can’t wait to get back out there and race in front of fans at home.”
It’s a long season ahead and Burling says the team are focused on, “the long game” in a league where anything can happen, and every team is capable of making it on the podium.
Commenting on the Kiwi’s lukewarm finish in Spain last month, Burling said, “We’re very much focused on being the best team we can be in this league at the end of the season, when it matters.” SailGP is back next month with the first-ever Dubai Sail Grand Prix, presented by P&O Marinas, over two action-packed days on 12-13 November 2022. New Zealanders can tune in live on Sky Sport NZ or live and on-demand on YouTube.
