SailGP: Leading match racer and Olympian brings fresh energy to Kiwi SailGP and AC teams
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 11 Nov 18:54 PST
12 November 2024
Leonard Takahashi with Oscar Gunn (partially hidden) – UniCredit Youth America’s Cup, Group B – Sept 22, 2024 Barcelona © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
The SailGP team, Black Foils, captained by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, has confirmed a replacement for flight controller/trimmer Andy Maloney, who recently departed.
In late October, Maloney disclosed he would leave the New Zealand SailGP squad to join the new Brazilian SailGP team helmed by two-time Olympic Gold medalist Martine Grael. He has three America’s Cup titles as a flight controller/trimmer with Emirates Team New Zealand, alongside Burling and Tuke, and he also won the Finn Gold Cup, the top accolade in single-handed sailing, leaving a significant void in both the SailGP and AC teams.
Leo Takahashi (NZL/JPN), a leading match racer and representative in the 49er class at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is joining the team on a three-season contract as Flight Controller. He served as co-helmsman and skipper for Emirates Team New Zealand’s Youth AC40 program at the Youth America’s Cup held in Barcelona. At just 25, Takahashi is the son of Robert Fry, a prominent New Zealand sailor, and made his mark on the offshore racing scene in Japan as well as with Japanese America’s Cup teams. At 19, he ranked 25th in the World Match Racing Tour for skippers and helmsmen.
A graduate of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Youth program, Takahashi excelled in international youth match racing in New Zealand, Australia, and the USA. He was part of a crew led by Australians at the 2021 Congressional Cup, the world’s premier and oldest match racing event held by the Long Beach Yacht Club.
Maloney was among three new recruits announced by the Brazilian team, which is one of several privately owned SailGP teams making their debut this Season 5, set to commence in Dubai at the end of November. The other new hires included Leigh McMillan, a flight controller with America’s Cup Challenger INEOS Britannia, and Richard Mason, who recently sailed with INEOS Britannia at the 2021 America’s Cup and more recently with SailGP teams.
Multiple teams have reported acquisitions by private owners for amounts rumored to range from USD $40 million to $60 million or more. These owners and managers have engaged in a recruitment process that has seen several swift transitions into roles within the privately owned teams. Besides Maloney, a notable move included INEOS Britannia’s Head of Sailing, Giles Scott, also serving as the skipper of Emirates GBR SailGP, in addition to his responsibilities in the America’s Cup.
SailGP is suggesting that a notable Australian sailor has also been lured to join an unnamed rival team.
A hallmark of this recruitment effort has been the readiness of elite SailGP sailors to join lower-ranked teams, echoing the America’s Cup saying “if you want the truth, follow the money,” indicating generous salaries are being offered and accepted.
While SailGP has previously maintained strict nationality regulations, these have been relaxed for Season 5, permitting three non-nationals in a team, scaling down if total crew sizes decrease in lighter winds. This relaxation of rules has facilitated aggressive recruitment from SailGP and America’s Cup teams. America’s Cup teams are now in a holding pattern, following the recent announcement prohibiting all sailing outside of the AC40 one designs for the next 12 months. Future venues, the Protocol, and Version 3 of the AC75 Class rule are yet to be disclosed. The next America’s Cup is set to take place in 2027, a year later than initially planned.
Likely changes to America’s Cup crew rules may see cyclors replaced with battery power, while maintaining the overall crew size. Takahashi’s integration into the Kiwi SailGP team and possibly the core Emirates Team New Zealand sailing team significantly enhances both groups with match racing expertise. Like his fellow ETNZ crew members, Burling, Tuke, and co-helmsman Nathan Outteridge, Takahashi has competed at an Olympic level in the 49er skiffs.
It remains unclear whether Maloney’s transition to the Brazilian SailGP team signifies his departure from the Kiwi America’s Cup team. However, for all professional sailors, the ability to compete in both the America’s Cup and SailGP over the next three years may become increasingly challenging, with SailGP’s plan to expand from 14 events in Season 5 to 18 or more in subsequent seasons.
Following the conclusion of racing in Barcelona, America’s Cup officials announced extensive use of the AC40 one design fleet for preliminary racing. This competition, along with the AC75 match racing, is critical for raising the visibility of America’s Cup teams and ensuring sponsor returns.
If the aspirations of both rival circuits materialize, the professional sailing calendar is set to become very crowded—making it nearly impossible to participate in both, especially considering the testing demands for the current and upcoming AC75s for the 2027 America’s Cup.
A statement from the Black Foils highlights: “Takahashi was part of the Japan SailGP Team in Seasons 1 and 2 as a Grinder and Flight Controller, transitioning to the USA SailGP Team as Flight Controller in Season 4. With extensive international experience at such an early stage, including participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 25-year-old is ready to significantly impact the Black Foils, competing in front of a hometown crowd at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland on January 18-19.
“I was genuinely surprised to find out I made the Black Foils team,” Takahashi expressed. “Now, I am just overjoyed; it’s a true privilege. I am thrilled about what we can achieve as a team in the upcoming seasons.”
On sailing alongside Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, Takahashi shares, “Every child dreams of sailing with their heroes. It’s been amazing how welcoming and supportive they have been.”
Tuke, co-CEO and Wing Trimmer of Black Foils, expressed enthusiasm over Takahashi joining the team for a three-season period: “It’s been rewarding to see him develop as an athlete in recent years, and we’re excited to have such promising young talent as we elevate the Black Foils.”
Takahashi, although born in Japan, grew up in New Zealand and began his sailing journey at eight years old at Murrays Bay in Auckland. He progressed quickly into competitive sailing, participating in three Optimist World Championships. As a teenager, he engaged in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron youth program, winning both national and international youth match racing titles.
Takahashi was also part of the Live Ocean Racing team competing in the ETF26 series in Europe in 2022 and 2024, alongside Black Foils team member Liv Mackay. Most recently, he sailed for Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2024 Youth America’s Cup.
Reflecting on his passion for SailGP, Takahashi states, “It’s transforming the sport, and I find the format incredibly exciting. The boats are truly impressive, some of the fastest in the world, and the prospect of 12 boats on the line in Auckland this January is exhilarating!”
His first season with the Black Foils kicks off in Dubai on November 23-24, 2024, before he returns to race before a home audience at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland in January.
