The Black Foils return to Rolex SailGP Championship action in Halifax this weekend for the first time since their dramatic crash in Auckland back in February, and driver Peter Burling believes the team can still challenge for victory despite four months on the sidelines.
New Zealand’s team has missed four consecutive events in Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda and New York while SailGP Technologies worked to build a replacement F50 following the damage sustained in Auckland.
Their return comes at a crucial moment in the season, with rivals having banked valuable championship points during their absence.
But while Burling admits the Black Foils face a significant challenge, he insists the team remains ambitious.
“We’re under no illusions that it’s going to be incredibly hard to jump back into this league,” Burling said.
“With four months not sailing, we’ve still got Louis recovering, so we’ve got Stu on board. He did an amazing job yesterday and we’re very much in the rebuild phase.
“But we’re excited to go out there this weekend and really believe that if we have a good weekend, we can win it.”
The team’s return marks the end of a lengthy recovery process that has tested both the sailors and the wider SailGP technical operation. Burling praised the work that has gone into getting New Zealand back on the water.
“We definitely knew it was going to be a significant challenge to get back on the water,” he said.
“The amount of work the tech team has done to get us to this point and get us back on the water, we’re incredibly grateful.”
The Black Foils completed a commissioning day in Halifax on Thursday, allowing the crew to begin rebuilding confidence in their new boat ahead of racing.
“It’s super exciting to be back,” Burling said. “For us as a group, to be back on the water, have a commissioning day yesterday and be able to build that confidence as a group is something we’re incredibly excited about.”
Despite the setback, Burling revealed he never seriously believed the team would miss the remainder of the season.
“You have to stay optimistic at times,” he said.
Now, after months spent watching from afar as rivals battled for victories and championship points, the Black Foils are finally back on the start line, and under new ownership.
With Halifax holding fond memories for the New Zealanders, Burling hopes their comeback story can begin with an immediate statement.
“It’ll be hard,” he admitted. “But we’re excited to get back racing.”
