Burling comes home
America's Cup champ celebrates 100-year-old club that trained him
It was a humble hero’s welcome for America’s Cup-winning skipper Peter Burling this weekend, as he returned to the Tauranga yachting club where he first learned the sport he has conquered.
Burling visited his hometown to celebrate the centennial of the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club.
He is a long-time member and one of many champion sailors the club has produced.
These have most recently included sailors Jason Sanders and siblings Molly Meech and Sam Meech, as well as windsurfer Veerle ten Have – all of whom are set to join Burling in representing New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics in July.
Just over two weeks after skippering Emirates Team New Zealand to victory in the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland – a win that captured global attention and sealed Burling’s spot among the sport’s all-time greats – his planned appearance at the centennial was kept quiet from the public.
But there was no hiding the helmsman once he arrived at the club’s Sulphur Point headquarters on Friday evening.
Club Commodore
Delwyn
Keyworth said Burling signed autographs and memorabilia and spent a lot of time talking to young and beginner sailors, as well as to older members he recognised from his youth in the club.
He also sat down with Tauranga sailing legend Jimmy Gilpin – a top yachtie of the 1950s – for a banterfilled live interview.
On Saturday, Burling caught up with the Bay of Plenty Times to talk about the influence the club and learning to sail in Tauranga had on his career.
The 30-year-old two-time America’s Cup winner and Olympic 49er-class gold (Rio, 2016) and silver medallist (London, 2012) said it was always good to get back to his roots at the club where he first started sailing as a youngster growing up in Welcome Bay.
“It was pretty cool to see so many familiar faces. It’s a massive milestone and pretty cool to chat to some of the people who have been there for a very long time.”
He said he had seen “so many people that really helped me get to where I am today”.
“It’s amazing to see so many