BURLING AND TUKE ARE TEAM OF THE YEAR

PETER BURLING AND Blair Tuke won the Team of the Year Award at the 54th Halberg Awards in Auckland in February.

Fellow NZL Sailing Team members and 2016 Olympic silver medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie were named finalists in the Team category while Hamish Willcox was among the four finalists for the Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year Award, following his work with Burling and Tuke.

It was the pair’s fifth time at the annual Halberg event, and their first to receive the team award.

“For Pete and me to be recognised in this group is really humbling. Everyone has represented the country to a high level, and to be part of that is something we’re really proud of,” says Blair.

The 49er skiff pair’s outstanding performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games saw them secure the gold medal before the final race had even begun, claiming the regatta with a 43-point winning margin across 13 races.

Their total dominance in events sailed during the run up to the games was also managed at the same time as working with Emirates Team New Zealand in preparation for the 2017 America’s Cup. In addition to this, they were selected as flagbearers to lead the New Zealand team into the Olympic opening ceremony.