Peter Burling (sailor)

Peter Burling MNZM (born 1 January 1991) is a New Zealand sailor who won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics as helm in the 49er class alongside Blair Tuke.
Burling with Blair Tuke was Olympic flag bearer for New Zealand at the 2016 Olympics. They are just the 4th New Zealand flagbearer to win a gold medal at the same Olympics.
At age 25, Burling is the youngest ever 49er Olympic gold medal skipper. He and Tuke won the 2016 Olympics with two races to spare and by an overall 43 point margin - winning by the most points of any sailing class in the Olympics since 1968 (when the modern scoring system started). They finished ahead of the second placed (Australian) boat in 11 of the 13 races, being behind by just three points in race 3 and one point in race 10.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Burling (then aged 21) was the youngest 49er sailor. Their silver medal was New Zealand's 100th Olympic medal.
Burling and Tuke were the first sailors to represent New Zealand in the 49er at the Olympics since 2000.
In November 2015 the International Sailing Federation announced that Burling and Tuke were the ISAF Rolex World male sailors of the year.
Burling and Tuke are the first sailors to win four consecutive 49er class World Championships (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016). They won all 28 of the major regattas in the 49er between the London Olympics (2012) and the Rio Olympics (2016). The only regatta they did not win in this time was when they finished 3rd in a short 2 day regatta prior to the Olympics. In all the major regattas (Olympics, Worlds, Europeans, World Cup) in 2015 and 2016 they led into the medal races by over 20 points - effectively winning the regattas before the medal race.
Burling and Tuke were named as Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sailing in the New Years Honours 2017.
Burling is also the 2015 World Champion in the International Moth. He is the helmsman for Emirates Team New Zealand's 2017 America's Cup campaign.
Burling was the skipper of the winning boat in the 2013 Red Bull Youth Americas Cup.

Burling was born in 1991. He received his education at Tauranga Boys' College which he attended with fellow Olympic sailors Sam Meech and Jason Saunders at the same time. Previously he had attended Welcome Bay School and Tauranga Intermediate School. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland.

Burling started sailing in the Welcome Bay estuary near his home in Tauranga, New Zealand, at the age of six in an old wooden optimist called Jellytip. At the age of eight, he joined Tauranga Yacht Club and started competing. He sailed in his first Optimist nationals at age 9. At the age of 11 in 2002, Burling finished 2nd in the New Zealand Optimist Nationals (under-16). He competed in the 2002 Optimist World Championships in Texas at the age of 11.

In 2003 at the age of 12, Burling won the New Zealand Optimist Nationals and competed in the 2003 Optimist Worlds in the Canary Islands. He stopped sailing the Optimist at age 12.

At age 13, he was 2nd in the New Zealand P class Nationals (under 17). He won the NZ Starling nationals (under 19) – (winning both the Fleet racing and Matchracing titles) twice – at age 14 and 15.

At the age of fifteen Burling (with Carl Evans) won the 2006 420 Class Worlds in the Canary Islands – the youngest sailors ever to do so. They also won the under-16 and under-18 world championships.

At 16 years old Burling defended his 420 title to win the 420 Class Worlds sailed in Auckland. He also won the under-18 world championship.

Burling and Tuke are Olympic gold medalists (2016) and silver medalists (2012) in the 49er skiff.

Burling and Tuke are the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 World Champions in the 49er, they also won the 2013, 2014,2015 and 2016 49er European championships. They won all 28 of the major regattas in the 49er between the London Olympics (2012) and the Rio Olympics (2016) - a record for this Olympic class).

Burling and Tuke were awarded the ISAF World Male Sailor of the Year for 2015.

Burling is the 2015 International Moth World Champion.

In January 2014 Emirates Team New Zealand announced that it had signed Burling and Tuke for the next Americas Cup campaign.

In February 2015 Emirates Team New Zealand announced that Burling would be a helmsman for their 2017 America Cup challenge. Burling helmed the Emirates Team New Zealand foiling AC45 to second place in his debut for the team in the Americas Cup World Series regatta in Portsmouth in July 2015. In the second 2015 Americas Cup World Series regatta in August 2015 in Sweden, Burling helmed the Emirates Team New Zealand foiling AC45 to an overall win, being the only team to finish all 4 races in the top 3. In the third AWCS regatta in Bermuda, Burling helmed the Emirates Team New Zealand foiling AC45 to second place, finishing the 2015 Americas cup World Series in the lead, 10 points clear of Oracle.

Burling finished 11th in the 470 class at the 2008 Olympics. At 17 years old (still at school), he was the youngest sailor ever to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games. Burling was the youngest sailing competitor at the 2008 Olympics and the youngest member of the 2008 New Zealand Olympic team. Burling finished 6th in the 2007 470 Europeans - his first international 470 regatta and had his best world ranking in the 470 of 5th in 2008.

Burling skippered the New Zealand Sailing Team entry to victory in the inaugural Red Bull Youth America's Cup in San Francisco in September 2013.

Burling helmed for Team Korea's White Tiger Challenge, in the 2012 America's Cup World Series in San Francisco.

Olympic Games

• 01 ! 2016 - 49er class with Blair Tuke
• 02 ! 2012 - 49er class with Blair Tuke (age 21)
• 11th 2008 - 470 Class with Carl Evans (age 17)

World Championships

World Championship Titles

• 01 ! 2016 - 49er World Champion – Clearwater,Florida, USA (with Blair Tuke)
• 01 ! 2015 - 49er World Champion – Buenos Aires, Argentina (with Blair Tuke)
• 01 ! 2015 - Moth World Champion – Sorrento, Australia.
• 01 ! 2014 - 49er World Champion – Santander, Spain (with Blair Tuke)
• 01 ! 2013 - 49er World Champion Marseille, France (with Blair Tuke)
• 01 ! 2007 - 420 Open World Champion, age 16.
• 01 ! 2006 - 420 Open World Champion, age 15.

Other World Championship Results

• 02 !2nd - 2012 - 2nd 49er World Championships – Croatia (with Blair Tuke)
• 02 !2nd - 2011 - 2nd 49er World Championships – Perth, Australia (with Blair Tuke)
• 03 !3rd - 2014 - 3rd A class catamaran World Championships – Auckland, New Zealand (first rookie)
• 03 !3rd - 2009 - 3rd ISAF Teams Racing Worlds – Perth, Australia
• 10th - 2013 - Moth World Championships Hawaii
• 4th - 2011 - Moth World Championships Lake Macquarie, Australia
• 17th - 2010 - 49er World Championships – Bahamas (with Blair Tuke)
• 26th - 2009 - 49er World Championships – Lake Garda, Italy (with Blair Tuke)
• 11th - 2008 - 470 World Championships (with Carl Evans)age 17
• 45th - 2007 - 470 World Championships (with Carl Evans) age 16
• 6th - 2005 - 420 Open World Championships (helm)
• 40th - 2003 - Optimist World Championships – Canary Islands (age 12)
• 116th - 2002 - Optimist World Championships – Texas (age 11).

Other achievements

2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Unbeaten in major 49er regattas worldwide (27 49er regatta victories since London Olympics).

2013 Skipper of the winning boat in the Red Bull Youth Americas Cup

2017:-

2017 01 ! 1st Swan River Match Cup (Perth) - helm, sailing with Blair Tuke, Glenn Ashby, Josh Junior.

2016 49er regattas:-

2016 01 ! 1st 49er Rio Olympics

2016 03 ! 3rd 49er Rio de Janeiro International Sailing week

2016 01 ! 1st 49er Kieler Woche regatta, Germany (with Blair Tuke)

2016 01 ! 1st 49er Sailing World Cup Hyeres regatta, France (with Blair Tuke)

2016 01 ! 1st 49er European Championships - Barcelona, Spain (with Blair Tuke)

2016 01 ! 1st 49er World Championships – Clearwater, Florida, USA (with Blair Tuke)

2016 01 ! 1st 49er NZL Nationals (with Blair Tuke)

2016 Americas Cup World series regattas

Helm for Emirates Team New Zealand

2015-2016 03 !3rd overall in 2015-2016 Americas Cup World Series.

2016 01 ! 1st Americas Cup World Series regatta, New York

2016 03 ! 3rd Americas Cup World Series regatta, Oman

2016 4th Americas Cup World Series regatta, Chicago

2016 5th Americas Cup World Series regatta, Toulon, France

2016 4th Americas Cup World Series regatta, Japan

2015 49er regattas:-

2015 01 ! 1st 49er World Championships – Buenos Aires, Argentina (with Blair Tuke)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er South American Champs, Buenos Aires (with Blair Tuke)(Nov 2015)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er Olympic Test Event, Rio de Janeiro (with Blair Tuke)(Aug 2015)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er Rio de Janeiro International sailing week (with Blair Tuke)(Aug 2015)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er Europeans (Porto, Portugal) (with Blair Tuke)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth regatta (Weymouth, England) (with Blair Tuke)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres regatta (Hyeres, France) (with Blair Tuke)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er Princess Sofia Regatta (Palma, Mallorca) (with Blair Tuke)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er Sail Auckland (with Blair Tuke)

2015 01 ! 1st 49er NZL Nationals (with Blair Tuke)

2015 Americas Cup World series regattas

Helm for Emirates Team New Zealand - overall leader of 2015 Americas Cup World Series.

2015 02 ! 2nd Americas Cup World Series Bermuda (Oct 2015)

2015 01 ! 1st Americas Cup World Series Gothenburg (Aug 2015)

2015 02 ! 2nd Americas Cup World Series Portsmouth

2014

2014 01 ! 1st 49er Intergalactic Championships, Rio de Janeiro (with Blair Tuke)

2014 01 ! 1st 49er South American Championships, Rio de Janeiro (with Blair Tuke)

2014 01 !1st 49er World Championships – Santander, Spain (with Blair Tuke)

2014 01 ! 1st 49er Rio International Regatta, Rio de Janeiro (with Blair Tuke)

2014 01 ! 1st 49er European Championships, Helsinki (with Blair Tuke)

2014 01 ! 1st 49er Hyeres World cup regatta (with Blair Tuke)

2014 01 ! 1st 49er Mallorca World cup regatta (with Blair Tuke)

2014 03 ! 3rd Extreme Sailing series St Petersburg, Russia (helming for Emirates Team New Zealand)

2014 03 ! 3rd Extreme Sailing series Qingdao, China (helming for Emirates Team New Zealand)

2014 4th Auckland-to-Fiji yacht race (sailing on Wired)

2014 01 ! 1st A class NZ Nationals (Pre-worlds, 65 International competitors, his first competition in A class)

2013 and previous

2013 14th (Line Honours) Sydney-to-Hobart race sailing on Pretty Fly 3

2013 01 ! 1st – Red Bull Youth America's Cup (skipper/ helm for NZL sailing team)

2013 01 ! 1st 49er European Championships (Aarhus, Denmark)

2013 01 ! 1st – Australian Moth Nationals

2013 02 ! 2nd China cup (Tactician for Team Vatti)

2013 01 ! 1st 49er Sail Auckland (with Blair Tuke)

2012 01 ! 1st China cup (Tactician for Team Vatti)

2010 01 ! 1st 49er North American Championships (with Blair Tuke)

2009 Completed 120 nm Coastal Classic course in 49er (Auckland to Russell) with Blair Tuke

2009 01 ! New Zealand National Youth Matchracing Champion (with Blair Tuke and Scott Burling)

2008 02 ! 2nd New Zealand Keelboat Nationals

2008 01 ! New Zealand Champion in Elliot 5.9

2006 01 ! New Zealand Champion in Starling, 42001 !, Elliot 5.901 !(age 15)

2006 01 ! 1st 420 Junior Europeans (age 15)

2005 01 ! New Zealand Champion in Starling, 42001 !, Elliot 5.901 !(age 14)

2004 02 ! 2nd NZ P class Nationals (age 13)

2003 01 ! 1st NZ Optimist Nationals (age 12)

2002 02 ! 2nd NZ Optimist Nationals (age 11)

• Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sailing, 2017 New Year Honours.
• Finalist, Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2016 (with Blair Tuke)
• ISAF Rolex World Male Sailor of the year 2015 (with Blair Tuke)
• Finalist, Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2014(with Blair Tuke)
• Yachting New Zealand Sailor of the Year 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016(with Blair Tuke)
• Yachting New Zealand Young Sailor of the Year 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011
• Finalist Halberg awards (New Zealand), Team of the Year (with Blair Tuke) 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.

• "New Year Honours List 2017". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016. 
• "A Golden List, 2016 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Nominees Announced". sailing.org. World Sailing. Retrieved 5 October 2016. 
• "2014 ISAF World Sailor nominee Peter Burling & Blair Tuke". Retrieved 3 February 2015. 
• "Burling and Tuke named 2013 House of Travel Sailor of the Year". Yachting NZ. Yachting NZ. Retrieved 30 November 2013. 
• "Burling and Tuke named for New Zealand Sailing's Top Honour for 2014". Yachting NZ. Yachting NZ. Retrieved 29 November 2014. 
• Bakewell-White, Jodie. "BURLING AND TUKE MAKE HISTORY WITH NEW ZEALAND SAILING'S TOP HONOUR". Yachting NZ. Yachting NZ. Retrieved 28 November 2015. 
• "In a league of their own;Peter Burling and Blair Take claim yachting's top award once more.". Yachting NZ. Yachting NZ. Retrieved 26 November 2016. 
• "50th Westpac Halberg Awards Finalists Announced". Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
• "51st Westpac Halberg Awards Finalists". Retrieved 15 February 2014. 
• "Halberg Awards: Finalists announced". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2015. 
• "Finalists announced for Halberg Awards". NZ Herald. Retrieved 7 January 2016. 
• "Golden glow of Rio dominates finalists list". stuf.co.nz. stuff. Retrieved 11 January 2017.