EXCELLENCE RECOGNISED AT YACHTING NEW ZEALAND AWARDS FOR EMIRATES TEAM NZ

Emirates Team New Zealand was presented with a Yachting New Zealand Performance award in recognition of a highly successful year on the water, having taken podium finishes at the America’s Cup World Series regattas in Portsmouth (2nd), Gothenburg (1st) and Bermuda (2nd) to hold the overall lead in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

The award was accepted on behalf of the team by skipper Glenn Ashby, “We are really proud to receive this award for our performance this year. We are always so focused on our job and campaign that you never give yourself too much time to reflect on some of the successes of the year. So it is nice to be able to take a moment and do so here.”

Long time Emirates Team New Zealand meteorologist Dr Roger Badham was also recognized with a Yachting New Zealand service award for weather foecasting services to yachting.

Known as ‘Clouds’ in the yachting world, he is one of the most respected meteorologists in the business. He spent 10 years at university studying meteorology and the last 40 years as a meteorologist – most of that time specialising in forecaster for the marine industry.

Clouds has forecast for nine America’s Cups, seven Olympic Games, 30 around the world yacht races and countless yacht races and regattas all around the world, with over 35 Sydney to Hobart race forecasts.

But the night undoubtedly belonged to Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling and trimmer Blair Tuke who took out New Zealand’s top Award in the sport of sailing for the third consecutive year and are now among the most celebrated sailors in New Zealand.

Burling and Tuke, who currently have an international strangle-hold over the Olympic 49er skiff class, were named the winners of the 2015 Executive Travel Group Sailor of the Year at the prestigious Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards.

Their names will now feature on the historic Sir Bernard Fergusson Trophy, (first presented back in 1963) for three consecutive years - 2013, 2014 and 2015 – a feat not achieved by any other individual or crew in New Zealand sailing history.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are widely acknowledged as the most successful sailors in the world right now. 

Earlier this month the pair took out the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of outstanding achievements in the world of sailing, when named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year for 2015.

This was before they went on to take victory at their pinnacle event for the year. Burling and Tuke won the 2015 49er World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 21st and became the only 49er sailors to ever win three consecutive world titles in the Olympic skiff class.