Postponement has an upside for Team NZ
Team New Zealand have scored an unexpected bonus with the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.
That sensible move frees up four of Team New Zealand’s key sailors to concentrate on the defence of the America’s Cup.
Peter Burling, Blair Tuke, Josh Junior and Andy Maloney were all involved in Olympic bids while also juggling their Cup campaigns.
Burling and Tuke were among the first athletes named in the New Zealand Olympic team for
Tokyo, having won two more 49er world championships in the last four months.
They are the defending Olympic champions in this dynamic class.
Tuke expressed his support of the Games postponement and said ‘‘the well-being of our global community is the top priority’’.
Burling agreed, adding: ‘‘We look forward to representing New Zealand again when we are all through the other side.’’
Junior and Maloney are in a two-way battle to be New Zealand’s Finn sailor at the next Games.
Junior won the recent world championships in Australia but it has been a close tussle between the two, and Yachting New Zealand still hasn’t confirmed which one will attend Tokyo.
Junior and Maloney will need to sail additional qualifying regattas as the selection route becomes more clear with the yachting calendar for Olympic classes in upheaval because of the global health crisis.
For now, all four can get their minds back on the defence of the America’s Cup which they helped win in Bermuda in 2017.
A world series regatta is set for Auckland in December with the America’s Cup match scheduled for March 2021.
Burling and Tuke’s increased presence will be particularly beneficial when Team New Zealand, now in lockdown like all Kiwis, resume their testing programme.
Both are key figures in providing feedback off the test platforms that will go into the build of the syndicate’s second generation
AC75, which is currently under construction.
With the America’s Cup world series regattas in Italy and England cancelled, a Team New Zealand priority is to get their first
AC75 Te Aihe back to their Auckland base.
The boat is still being shipped to Europe and will be turned around immediately it arrives there.
Team New Zealand’s development programme is now reliant on their small-scale test boat.