E84 | Blair Tuke

Episode summary | Blair Tuke

Blair Tuke is one of New Zealand’s most successful sailors and best sportsmen. His love of the ocean has driven both his remarkable sailing career and his environmental mission to preserve it for future generations.

He’s won Olympic gold medal and silver medals, and seven 49er World Championships with Peter Burling, and together they were named New Zealand sports team of the year in 2017. He’s won and defended the holy grail of sailing, the America’s Cup and also sailed around the globe, finishing second in a down-to-the-wire finish in The World Ocean Race in 2018. In 2021 he added a new challenge to his list, leading the New Zealand team as joint CEO with Peter in SailGP, the global series raced in F50 catamarans.

A Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and World Sailor of the Year, Blair is also committed to ocean conservation charity Live Ocean he’s founded with Peter.

This was an amazing episode filled with thoughtful answers and a willingness to share.

Show notes | Blair Tuke

1.45 The Bermuda Triangle, quicksand, and spontaneous human combustion

4.40 When Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga, and Dom Harvey turned up for the Christmas Holidays

9.03 A hole in one on a par four in Arrowtown

12.54 The Ocean Race – a deep dive into sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge

30.51 Establishing the Live Ocean Foundation

36.15 The open ocean and the risks involved: the loss of John Fisher in the Southern Ocean

41.20 Life on board: paying respects to King Neptune

45.02 The dramatic finish of The Ocean Race in 2018

50.28 Seamus’ series of curious questions on The Ocean Race

56.33 Falling in love with the ocean on a trip to Fiji and moving through the sailing ranks

1.00.49 Linking up with Peter Burling and the first Olympic Games experience in London

1.09.24 The remarkable run between London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016

1.17.26 Carrying the flag and winning Gold at Rio

1.21.05 Silver at Tokyo

1.26.49 The America’s Cup: memories of past campaigns and getting the call-up

1.30.57 Winning in Bermuda and defending in New Zealand

1.37.31 The popularity of the America’s Cup

1.40.00 The ins and outs of Sail GP

1.46.05 What the future holds for Blair Tuke

1.50.26 Last words from Steven, Seamus and Blair