Blair Tuke called it a hugely emotional day. For a man not given to easy sentiment, that said something.
The Black Foils Co-CEO was dockside in Halifax after the team put their new F50, Manawatītī, into the water for the first time today. It was the team’s first time back sailing together since the Auckland incident in January, and the start of a commissioning process that now leads directly into this weekend’s Canada Sail Grand Prix.
The day began with a blessing ceremony, connected via live link to Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr back in Aotearoa. Barclay-Kerr, Master Navigator and leader of Te Toki Voyaging Trust, had previously gifted the team’s first F50 its name, Amokura. Today he gifted them Manawatītī.
“He ran us through the blessings, some really beautiful karakia which involved a bit of back and forth with him and us,” Tuke said. “It was pretty low-key, just the team members here and a few of the tech team, which was neat to have them involved.”
The name was Barclay-Kerr’s, arrived at after many conversations with Tuke and others in the team. Manawatītī translates to the heart of a tītī, the sooty shearwater, known to many New Zealanders as the muttonbird. The tītī breeds in Aotearoa and travels the world but always returns.
“That’s like us as a team,” Tuke said.
“We are from Aotearoa, very proud to be from home, get to race these incredible boats all over the world, but importantly we always go home, we’re always connected to home. That resilience, that tightness of a group. Manawatītī is a beautiful name that I think serves us really well. This is now a new journey for us, a new chapter, and a really exciting one.”
Getting to that moment took thousands of hours at SailGP Technologies’ Southampton facility. Members of the Black Foils shore crew worked alongside the build team before the boat transferred to Halifax. Tuke did not gloss over what that effort meant.
“The turnaround that they’ve done and what they’ve created out of the Southampton facility is awesome. It was nice to have some of those team here and being able to join in that ceremony. Just a hugely significant milestone for the team to be the custodians of this waka now.”
After the ceremony, the team brought Manawatītī back out of the water for a wing adjustment before relaunching. The sail itself was around 30 minutes, a shakedown run through systems checks and manoeuvres with Tech HQ on the line.
“It was a really big moment for the team and it’s a nice place to sail here. It was pretty cool to be honest.”
The work is not finished. The team returns Thursday for further commissioning before Friday practice racing with the SailGP fleet.
“This is still a brand new boat so we’ve got to make sure we give it that respect,” Tuke said. “There are a few tweaks and modifications to be done already but it feels good. It’s nice to be back with a new waka and ready to get into it for the weekend.”
