Peter Burling divorces Team New Zealand: toward a sensational case of market sailing?

The news comes in the Italian night like a thunderbolt: Peter Burling and Team New Zealand are parting ways, the Kiwi super star will not take part in the 38th America’s Cup with the legendary New Zealand team (while he is busy on the Sail GP circuit: we explained here why he might become the “anti-Cup”). He leaves after winning three America’s Cups in a row: Bermuda 2017, Auckland 2020, Barcelona 2024. In the 2017 edition, at only 26 years old, he became the youngest helmsman ever to raise the Trophy. Burling can be considered one of the most successful sailors ever: in addition to the 3 America’s Cups, he boasts one gold and two Olympic silver medals in 49er, as well as 12 world medals.

Now, however, literally unpredictable scenarios are opening up regarding Burling, Team New Zealand, and the America’s Cup in general.

Burling – New Zealand, the reasons for the divorce

In a rather cryptic statement that does not clarify the dynamics, Team New Zealand announced the separation from its star. “Discussions between team management and Burling have been ongoing since Barcelona, but no agreement could be reached. With the America’s Cup shaping up as a more regular-cycle competition, the requirements for team members are changing. With the balance between design, simulation, boat building, testing, and ever-shrinking racing windows, the integration of key sailors with the design team becomes more critical than ever ” reads the New Zealanders’ statement.

It is no mystery that already in the last Cup there were even economic negotiations between Team New Zealand and Burling, something after Barcelona evidently must have broken down. Does this mean that Pier Burling will be watching the next America’s Cup on television? Yes and no.

Burling free, sailing market opens?

Let’s start with a premise: with the current nationality rule, Peter Burling could not take part in the next America’s Cup. Section 30.2 of the latest Protocol speaks clearly: you need a valid passport obtained at least 3 years before the event begins, or to have been physically present, as a member of a team, in a country for at least 548 days in the three years prior to the races, or to have been an actual member of the team for the same period while not being part of the sailing team. Unless Burling holds a passport from another America’s Cup participating nation, or has the requirements listed above, but there is no evidence to that effect, the Kiwi star is off the hook.

Mind you, however, this is all in light of the last Protocol. Nothing is yet known about the next one regarding the rules affecting the nationality of crews, and there is that all-too-interpretable phrase in the Kiwis’ communiqué“the requirements for team members are changing.” It can mean anything and everything, but unpredictable scenarios open up here.

Indeed, it is no mystery that other teams, particularly Alinghi Red Bull Racing, are lobbying for the nationality rule to change. Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi’s owner, a man who does not like to compete without having a chance to try to win, would like this rule to be at least softened in order to be able to put together a more competitive team than the Swiss-only one seen in Barcelona. In the memory of New Zealanders, therefore, what happened after 2000 comes back to mind, when a much more concessionary nationality rule allowed Bertarelli to hire the core of Team New Zealand, Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth above all, and then snatch the Cup from the Kiwis themselves in 2003.

Brad Butterworth himself, tactician in 2000 for Team New Zealand and then moved to Alinghi, is still currently a member of the Alinghi board and may have made contact with Burling for a resounding jersey change if the nationality rule is changed. That a sailor like Peter Burling would in fact give up a starring role in the next Cup altogether seems unlikely, unless his personal and family priorities have changed in the meantime.

If the new nationality rule allowed 1 or 2 foreign members in the crew, Burling would become a pawn that would appeal to many. Alinghi certainly, looking for the know-how needed to recover the technical gape seen in Barcelona. But who wouldn’t be interested in an outclassman like Peter Burling, cold, decisive, brilliant, ruthless, the perfect America’s Cup killer? It’s a safe bet that Luna Rossa is also following the matter with some attention. Sure, the Italian team is covered in the role of helmsmen with Ruggero Tita and Marco Gradoni, not forgetting then Gianluigi Ugolini. But Peter Burling is Peter Burling, and the Kiwi would go on to form a stellar cockpit with ours. Dream or reality?

Mauro Giuffrè