Peter Burling drives the New Zealand SailGP Team, known as the Black Foils, bringing a resume that is almost without parallel in modern sailing. Olympic gold in the 49er at Rio 2016, three America’s Cup victories as helmsman of Emirates Team New Zealand (2017, 2021, 2024), and now a concurrent SailGP/America’s Cup campaign that sees him also sailing for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in AC38.
Burling’s departure from Team New Zealand and his arrival at Luna Rossa is the defining personnel story of the 38th America’s Cup cycle. In SailGP, the New Zealand team benefits from Burling’s tactical genius and his deep understanding of foiling dynamics, but his split attention between SailGP and the America’s Cup means he may miss some events or arrive at others with less preparation time.
The Black Foils name echoes the All Blacks, and the team’s Kiwi identity is central to its brand. New Zealand, a country of five million people, produces sailing talent at a rate that defies its size. The sailing culture that runs from school dinghies to the America’s Cup creates a depth of expertise that the SailGP team draws from.
Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, where the Black Foils race in the New Zealand leg of the SailGP season, is one of the most significant sailing venues in the world. Burling racing at home, with the harbour where he won America’s Cups as his backdrop, creates a narrative that transcends the SailGP standings.