Peter Burling on His Departure from Team New Zealand

Before Naples was officially confirmed as the host city for the 38th America's Cup, much had been said about the difficulties facing the event — from the withdrawal of top challengers such as INEOS and the financial struggles of Sir Ben Ainslie’s new team, to Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s confirmed exit, which may still be reconsidered.

Among the most discussed topics was Peter Burling’s separation from Emirates Team New Zealand. The decorated helmsman recently shared his perspective in an interview with the New Zealand Herald, offering clarity on a chapter that closes one of the most successful partnerships in modern America's Cup history.

After joining ETNZ following their collapse in the 2013 final against Oracle — a loss he watched from Marseille while winning the 49er World Championship with Blair Tuke — Burling went on to lead the team to three consecutive Cup victories: Bermuda 2017, Auckland 2021, and Barcelona 2024. His leadership set a record 22 match race wins in the Cup — unmatched by any other helmsman.

Reflecting on the 2017 campaign, Burling recalls: “It was a baptism of fire. We had no financial certainty, we had to create everything from scratch. But it was an incredibly formative experience.”

Following months of discussions after the latest win in Barcelona, ETNZ announced Burling's departure ahead of the 2027 Cup cycle. CEO Grant Dalton explained the team required a “more focused and rapid approach.” Disagreements emerged around greater control over Burling’s activities, especially his dual commitment to the SailGP team Black Foils.

Burling stated: “In previous campaigns I managed to balance the America’s Cup, the Olympics, and SailGP. This time, the uncertainties were higher. Competing for New Zealand in SailGP remains deeply motivating for me.”

ETNZ did not offer alternative roles, and Burling confirmed: “They wanted me to remain in the same primary role as before. There wasn’t room to discuss other responsibilities. It was a bit surprising, but that’s sport.”

Personally, life has taken on new dimensions: Burling is married to Lucinda and father to Paloma. He co-leads the Black Foils with Tuke and is co-founder of Live Ocean, promoting marine conservation. On May 24, he will front Foil4TheGulf at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, backing a stalled bill to protect 19 marine areas in the Hauraki Gulf.

Since the announcement, several teams have contacted him for the 38th America’s Cup. The upcoming Protocol will define restrictions on non-national sailors. Current drafts suggest two foreign nationals per team may be allowed, but not in race roles unless they participated in the last edition.

As Burling puts it: “The sailing world is small. Never say never. Let’s see what the new Protocol brings.”

Our impression is that Russell Coutts wanted to take the America’s Cup’s most iconic moment away from the event and bring it into his own team — which, however, competes in a different championship… We’ll see how it unfolds.

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