“When I was a kid, I remember watching Team New Zealand on the TV,” Sinclair said.
“Since then it’s always been a dream of mine to represent New Zealand, so I am very grateful for the opportunity to defend the Cup on home soil.”
The leg-powered grinding system that was a feature of Team New Zealand’s 2017 campaign won’t be allowed this time, so upper-body strength will be vital for Sinclair and the other grinders.
“We do a lot of strength and conditioning work,” he said.
“Most of it is done on grinding machines but we also swim, box and run, to change things up.”
Sinclair’s mother is from Antigua in the Caribbean and he spent some of his childhood there.
He decided he wanted to be a professional sailor when he was still a teenager.
But he has also returned to his Wairoa roots.
“My father lived in Waihua, then Tiniroto Road for most of his life and that’s where I started out,” Sinclair said.
“I still have friends in Wairoa and good neighbours on Tiniroto Road, which is where I live when I’m not training.
“I don’t know why everyone is in Auckland when Wairoa has such good weather and nice people.”
Sinclair was part of the Volvo Ocean Race winning team in 2014-15 with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. He followed that up by sailing with the Mapfre crew in 2017-18.
“The Volvo is more of an endurance race, so you have to be hungry for the win and willing to be cold and wet for a long time.”
Preparation for the America’s Cup was mostly about developing a fast boat and getting fit enough to sail it, he said.
“The most challenging aspect is the fitness requirements of these boats — you just can’t get fit enough.
“I’m really excited to sail on this new class of foiling monohull.
“No one really knows how these boats will sail but you can be sure there will be some big wipe-outs.”
Sinclair said he had many good memories from his time with Oracle.
“Losing is always hard, even if it is to New Zealand, but it teaches you a lot of lessons and in the end it makes you stronger.”
