After three seasons as flight controller with the Black Foils in SailGP, Maloneywas approached by the newly introduced Brazilian team about joining their crew. Discussions began about a month before the start of the America’s Cup, in which Maloney was competing alongside several Black Foils teammates as Emirates Team New Zealand set out to on another Cup defence.
Among those teammates, Black Foils co-chief executives Blair Tuke and Peter Burling, with whom Maloney has sailed for a lot of his career. Maloney told the Herald the trio had plenty of discussions both as friends and from a business point of view before he ultimately agreed to join the Brazilians about two weeks out from the America’s Cup.
“When they initially approached me, it was nice to hear; another team wanting to acquire your skills and to have you on board the team - but I wasn’t taking it too seriously,” Maloney said.
“After a few back-and-forths with the team, it got more and more serious and I started having more and more chats with both Blair and Pete about the situation in front of me.
Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney were among the foundation members of the New Zealand SailGP team. Photo / Brett Costello, SailGP
“At the end of the day, I just had to make the decision that was right for me. I’ve sailed for a long time with Pete and Blair and the wider Black Foils team, and it felt like it was the right time to step out of my comfort zone and take on a new challenge with a new team where I could grow a lot.”
While he is donning a new set of colours in SailGP, Maloney was quick to confirm his interest in continuing in his role as flight controller with Team NZ in the America’s Cup for their next campaign.
“100%. That’s exactly why I made sure I was chatting with [Team NZ chief operating officer] Kevin Shoebridge throughout the process. I 100% want to race for Team New Zealand again in the future, and I think Shoeb as well as myself, we saw this as a really cool growing opportunity for me as a sailor and something that will help me develop, as more of an asset for Team New Zealand as well,” Maloney said.
“I think it’ll be an awesome balance if I can do something like this with SailGP with another team and grow as a sailor, then come back into that Cup environment with the rest of the squad as the tight unit that we’ve been for the past however many years now. I think it’ll be a great balance and hopefully it can play out that way.”
Maloney’s decision to join the Brazilian team for the new season, which begins in Dubai this weekend, was a move made possible by the league updating its nationality rules for the upcoming campaign. After nationality rules were previously determined by how long a team had been in the league, the new season sees things simplified to a certain number required on-board depending on the configuration.
Brazilian driver Martine Grael will be the first woman at the helm of a SailGP team when the season begins this weekend. Photo / Ricardo Pinto, SailGP
The 34-year-old was one of several high-profile transfers in the off-season. Among the others, Great Britain driver Giles Scott joined Canada, wing trimmer Chris Draper moved from Canada to Australia, while Kiwi grinder Stewart Dodson joined the Swiss team after winning the season four championship with Spain.
Maloney’s move saw young Kiwi sailor Leo Takahashi join the Black Foils as flight controller, after spending time with the now-defunct Japanese team in season one and two, and the United States in season four.
Takahashi, who was at the helm for Team NZ in the Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona, joins the established group of Tuke, Burling (driver), Liv Mackay (strategist), Louis Sinclair and Marcus Hansen (grinders) on-board their F50, Amokura.
Tuke, who sails as wing timmer for the Black Foils, told the Herald he wasn’t surprised to hear another team were interested in acquiring Maloney for the upcoming season.
“I’m surprised it took that long,” Tuke said.
“I mean, Andy’s one of the best flight controllers in the league, and a new team like that, we’ve seen in the league over the last few years when new teams come in and they haven’t grabbed the experience that’s around then it’s taken a long time to get up there.
“[Brazil] have made a smart move getting the experience around them that they have with Leigh [McMillan] in the wing trimmer role and then Andy.
“In general, I think it’s super exciting for the sport and for the league that they have these transfers going on, it just elevates it and we’re really at the forefront of being one of the more experienced teams to have a teammate poached or headhunted from another team.
“You’re going to see more of that and you just have to roll with it.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
