New era for New Zealand 49er sailing as Paris 2024 Olympic Games silver medallists Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie step away
New Zealand's most successful Olympic sailing class of the past two decades is entering a new era, with a changing of the guard underway as the road to Los Angeles 2028 takes shape.
With two-and-a-half years until the next Games, Paris 2024 silver medallists Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie have stepped away from Olympic campaigning.
The duo finished second in Marseille, where Olympic sailing was contested, earning one of two sailing medals for New Zealand and adding to the country's rich history in the men’s 49er class.
After an extended break following the Games, they returned to competition at the world championships in Cagliari in October last year, finishing seventh overall and narrowly missing qualification for the revamped knockout medal race. Despite a competitive showing in their first major regatta since the Marseille podium, McHardie and McKenzie have since chosen to explore different paths.
Both sailors have moved into full-time employment, with McKenzie relocating to Australia and recently confirmed as a new addition to the Black Foils coaching group.
"It wasn’t an easy decision, and Isaac and I explored every opportunity to make another campaign happen," McKenzie said.
"We wanted to be able to support our campaign by also sailing professionally, but despite every effort, we just couldn’t make it work."
The pair had left nothing on the table in their Paris campaign and knew the demands of another Olympic cycle would be even greater.
"We agreed that if we campaigned again, it would be to win gold and dominate the class for the entire cycle," McHardie said.
"We put absolutely everything into our 2024 campaign, and to go again in LA would have required even more time and resources. When we looked honestly at what that meant alongside our other responsibilities, it just wasn't realistic."
Life away from Olympic sailing has moved quickly for both in the past 18 months. McKenzie is now working as an engineer in Sydney, while McHardie has completed his building apprenticeship and is a qualified carpenter. Both have also become engaged to their long-term partners, with McHardie set to marry Olivia Mariano in March and McKenzie and Sophie Middleton planning to tie the knot early next year.
"A part of me enjoys having a routine and having weekends off, but the other half really misses the travel and the competitive side of racing," McKenzie said. "I've been playing more golf recently to satisfy that competitive streak, but honestly, it's been a real struggle."
His role with the Black Foils came as a surprise, with both McKenzie and the pair's former 49er coach Matt Steven signing on with the team. McKenzie will travel with the Black Foils and work shoreside to support performance.
"I'll be sitting in the coaching booth and feeding information through to the sailors on the boat during and in between races," he said. "It's data-driven - things they may not otherwise be aware of, the technical side of what's happening with their own boat, but also what the other boats are doing. My two passions in life are sailing and engineering, and this is the perfect mixture of both. It really was a no-brainer."
While McHardie would be open to the right coaching opportunity, his preference remains to be on the water.
"I'm still not entirely sure what the next few years look like," he said. "But what I do know is that sailing will always be a passion. I'd love to find an opportunity in the professional circuit somewhere and, while I would definitely not say no to the right off-water role, my preference is to be on the boat."
The departure of the McKiwis, as they have become known on the international sailing circuit, leaves the 49er class wide open in the build-up to Los Angeles. New Zealand has medalled in the class at the past four Olympic Games, with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke winning gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, sandwiched between silver medals in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020.
Emerging as early standard-bearers are Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush, who claimed the European Championship title in Thessaloniki, Greece, in June. The pair led the regatta from day two and sealed overall victory with a race to spare. They also qualified for the gold fleet at the world championships in Cagliari and are one of four strong teams forming the core of New Zealand’s men’s skiff depth.
Former Moth world champion Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn finished second in the silver fleet and 27th overall at the worlds, while Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan placed 39th. Meanwhile, 2024 junior world championship silver medallists Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren topped the bronze fleet, underlining the strength of the talent coming through.
McHardie believes the future of the 49er programme is in good hands.
"The New Zealand sailing team is looking very strong, and we're stoked that we were able to play a part in furthering the legacy in the 49er class that Pete and Blair built," he said. "Hopefully, the next team of 49er sailors can do the same in LA and beyond. We tried our best to share our knowledge and experiences with them as much as we could - just like Pete and Blair did for us.
"They're a talented group of sailors who can do really well. They still have some gaps they need to improve on, but at this stage of the Olympic cycle, it's the perfect time to do it."
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