Sail Grand Prix: Black Foils sign New Zealand Olympic hopeful Kate Stewart as reserve strategist

New Zealand’s Black Foils have signed Olympic hopeful Kate Stewart as a reserve strategist.

Stewart, 27, joins fresh from the best result of her Olympic campaign, finishing fifth at last month’s Nacra 17 European Championship with Micah Wilkinson. She will continue building towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games alongside her role with the Black Foils.

She will join the Black Foils in camp in Sassnitz this week ahead of her first event with the team, the ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix this weekend, 22-23 August.

A two-time Youth World Championship medallist who learned to sail at Wakatere Boating Club in Devonport, Stewart won the Tauranga Cup in 2014. She was only the second girl to have her name engraved on the historic New Zealand P-Class trophy, and the first since Leslie Egnot in 1979.

Stewart stepped away from the Olympic pathway to complete a university degree before returning to the water in 2025.

“When I left the Olympic pathway, there wasn’t a long-term pathway for women like the one we have now,” Stewart said. “Finishing my degree and seeing the fantastic roles and opportunities available to women today drew me back in.

“It’s an incredible honour to be part of the Black Foils and involved with people who’ve done amazing things in sailing. They’re a strong, tight-knit group with real values and mana, and I want to learn as much as I can from Liv.”

Nacra 17 Olympic campaigner Kate Stewart has joined the Black Foils Sail GP team. Photo / Black Foils

Stewart will work alongside the team’s strategist, Liv Mackay. When she is not sailing, she will also support the team from the coaches’ booth.

Earlier this month, Stewart completed her first session in SailGP’s F50 simulator at SailGP Technologies in Southampton as part of the league’s athlete licensing and race-readiness process.

Black Foils co-CEO Blair Tuke said Stewart’s performances since returning to the sport had underlined the talent she showed at youth level.

“Kate’s success at youth level was hugely impressive,” Tuke said. “After stepping away from the sport for a few years to focus on her studies, she has quietly returned and is already proving herself.

“We’re excited to have such a talented sailor join the team and strengthen our depth in the strategist role.”