D'Arcy Waldegrave: Possible motivations for Peter Burling's split

Burling and Dalton have split.  

Team New Zealand has lost the services of their greatest skipper, the most successful America’s Cup helmsman and the positive face of the team.  

Burling has yet to speak of the breakdown, Dalton has been quick to put his side of the story out into the ether – I’m sure in time we’ll hear Burling's view and from there we’ll draw our own conclusions. Let's not forget, there are three sides to every story: your side, their side, and somewhere in between lies the truth.  

There are a few considerations to take into account around this divorce.    

Sail GP. Burling is the CEO of the Black Foils. The series is the future of high profile, high speed, and high budget sailing. It is a global, regularly staged, easily understood and dynamic series. Burling hasn’t won it, but he’s held aloft the Auld Mug thrice. The pull between Coutts (Sail GP) and Dalton (America’s Cup) for the services of one of the biggest names in sailing may well have reached breaking point and Burling can see the untapped future of the former. The likelihood of either series being content with Burling straddling both events in 2027 is low if not non-existent.  

In Sail GP, Burling is the boss, in America’s Cup he isn’t. He’s achieved everything in America’s Cup but has yet to stand atop the GP series.   

I’d also think that the prospect of spending the next two years in a warehouse with Dalton doesn’t fill his heart with joy.  

Burling can’t race for another America’s Cup team, he doesn’t fit the eligibility criteria, so he’s not being lured away in that sense, but the prospect of an advisory role with a challenger with minimal time away from home and a fat paycheque is not out of the question.  

Maybe Burling just can’t stomach the Cup’s absence from New Zealand any longer. He doesn’t want to be party to the face slap that is TNZ’s continued engagement with offshore defences.   

And then there’s the most important campaign he has ever been involved in. One where the first few years is of utmost import to get right and fully engaged with. It’s a campaign that means more than any medal, any cup, any fiscal reward.  

Pete Burling is a dad. I’d suggest that role is the most instrumental in his decision making.   

You can’t get that time back. A man’s got to work, but at what cost?  

The Sail GP commitment over America's Cup is a no brainer for me.   

Being a dad is the most important role he’ll ever have.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
All Right, Peter Berling, Grant Dalton. They've split Team news
Gentllen's lost the services of their greatest skipper, the most
successful America's Cup helmsman, and the positive face of the team.
Berling is set to speak of the breakdown. Dalton has
been quick to put his side of the story out

(00:33):
into the ether. I'm sure in time will hear Berling's
view and from there we'll draw our own conclusions. Let's
not forget there are three sides to every story. Your side,
their side, and somewhere in between lies the truth. There
are a few considerations taking into account around this divorce
sale GP. Berling is the CEO of the Black Foils.

(00:56):
The series is the future of high profile, high speed
and high budget sailing. It's global, it's regularly staged, easily understood.
It's a dynamic series. Berlin hasn't won it, but he's
held aloft the old mug thrice. The pool between coots
of Sale, GP and Dalton, America's Cup for the services

(01:17):
of one of the biggest names in sailing may well
have reached breaking point, and Berlin can see the untapped
future of the former. The likelihood of either series being
content with Berlin straddling both events in twenty twenty seven
is low, if not nonexistent. In sale GP, Berlin is
the boss an America's Cup, he isn't. He's achieved everything

(01:42):
in America's Cup but has yet to stand atop the
GP series. I'd also think that the prospect of spending
the next two years in a warehouse with Dalton doesn't
fill heart with joy. Berlin can't race for another America's
Cup team, right, He doesn't fit the eligibility criteria, so
he's not being lured away in that sense, but the
prospect of an advisory role or a challenger, minimal time

(02:06):
away from home and a fat paycheck is not out
of the question. Maybe Berlin just can't stomach Cup's absence
from New Zealand anything longer. He just doesn't want to
be party to the regular face slap the team New
Zealand's continued engagement with Off Your Defenses. And then there's
the most important campaign he has ever been involved in,

(02:27):
one where the first few years is of utmost important
to get it right and get fully engaged with. It's
a campaign that means more than any medal, any cup,
any fiscal reward. Pete Berling's a dad, I'd suggest that
role is the most instrumental one in his decision making.

(02:48):
You can't get that time back like a man's got
to work short, but at what cost? The sale GP
commitment over America's Cup is a no brainer for me.
Being a dad is the most important role he'll ever have.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
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