New Zealand's Black Foils will sit out both May rounds of the Rolex SailGP Championship, skipping Bermuda and New York while the team works towards a comeback at Halifax in June.
Halifax, scheduled for 21-22 June, is the target the team is building towards, though the exact return date is still being confirmed with SailGP. After Halifax, the championship moves to Portsmouth on 26-27 July for the opening round of the European leg.
Co-CEO and driver Peter Burling made clear the team would not be rushing its return.
"We would like to be back racing as soon as possible but also understand there is an existing boat building programme and logistics timeline the league needs to work with. Based on where things are currently at we are hopeful we can make that happen for Halifax. Huge strides have been made by the league in building resilience in the fleet with SailGP Technologies and we know they are working hard on getting us back out there."
Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay has joined the DS Automobiles France team on loan, racing with them in Rio and again in Bermuda while French crew member Manon continues her recovery. Co-CEO and wing trimmer Blair Tuke said the arrangement worked well for both teams.
"We fully supported Liv taking up the opportunity to race with France. It's a positive chance for her to return to racing and to continue to get valuable time on the water. The fact that Liv can continue to get that exposure to SailGP racing is fantastic for her and the team."
Members of the Black Foils shore crew are continuing to work alongside SailGP Technologies in Southampton, with a rotation of New Zealand personnel expected within the next fortnight.
