The appointments follow the departure of last season’s support staff. Sam Meech has moved to Sweden’s Artemis SailGP Team, while Jo Aleh has taken up a new role with Emirates Team New Zealand within the America’s Cup programme.
Steven joins the Black Foils from Yachting New Zealand, where he has been working as a high-performance coach. Most recently, he coached the men’s 49er campaign that secured silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, working alongside McKenzie and Isaac McHardie. With the Black Foils, Steven will lead performance planning and development across racing, training, and review.
McKenzie enters the SailGP environment after combining elite sailing with the early stages of an engineering career. In the coaching booth, he will support tactical decision making and performance analysis, with a focus on translating data and on-water observations into race-by-race adjustments.
Black Foils co-CEO and wing trimmer Blair Tuke said the structure reflects how SailGP teams are continuing to evolve.
“High-performance support units in SailGP are becoming more specialised,” Tuke said. “We’re looking forward to what Matt and Will can add as we work to improve from event to event.”
Co-CEO and driver Peter Burling pointed to the ongoing connection between SailGP and the 49er class, noting the shared background across much of the team.
“There’s a long history in SailGP of sailors and coaches coming through the 49er,” Burling said. “With Matt and Will joining, six members of our group now have strong links to that class. They bring different perspectives, both on and off the water, which we think will strengthen the overall team setup.”
Steven said he was looking forward to joining the Black Foils as the season begins.
“I’ve known several members of the team for a long time and followed SailGP closely,” he said. “This is a chance to step into a new environment and contribute to the team’s performance on the water.”
McKenzie said the role represents a shift in focus within his sailing career.
“It’s an opportunity to work in a different capacity and apply my sailing experience alongside technical analysis,” he said. “Having raced with and against Pete, Blair, and Leo in the 49er, it’s good to now be working together.”
Steven and McKenzie join the Black Foils in Australia this week ahead of the opening round of the 2026 SailGP season at the Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix, presented by KPMG.
