Upgrades surely?
Nearly time for the Honours List to do its thing...
When the Palace releases the King’s New Year’s Honours List, it will be interesting to see who gets what from the Cup world and it would be no surprise to see two names getting the ultimate gong of a knighthood and the right to be addressed as ‘Sir.’
In fact there’s any number of Commonwealth members that should be recognised and given an upgrade with the stand-out candidate being a certain Kiwi that has led his team to no less than three in a row. In the UK if we won just one, the sailors would be heralded from the hilltops and perhaps would never need to buy a drink at a bar in a yacht club ever again. In New Zealand however, recognition comes at a pace that snails think is fast and with the Cup being something of an emotive football in the corridors of power, honours are highly political.
But the case however for Grant Stanley Dalton to receive an upgrade to his OBE (Other Bugger’s Efforts) is a powerful one. Having been given the medal in 1995, Dalts has been continually over-looked ever since and it’s a curious one. Back in the 90’s he’d just come off New Zealand Endeavour having scooped the '93-94 Round the World Race when it was sponsored by Whitbread. That’s a lifetime ago. It’s almost pre-mobile phones and an era that if you can remember, you probably weren’t trying hard enough.
Since then Dalts skippered two more laps of the planet on Merit Cup and Amer Sports, hitting the podium in both and, remember, it wasn’t until 2003 after utter humiliation at the hands of Ernesto Bertarelli’s mercenary Kiwis led by ‘Sir’ Russell Coutts (if he’s got one…), that Dalts took over and began to rebuild the whole team from the ground-up with zero money in the bank. Twenty-one years later and not only are Emirates Team New Zealand the historic three-time winners of the Cup but they’ve just been ranked fifth on the global Sports Technology Power List. They’re also one of the biggest companies in New Zealand.
If GD gets left off in the New Year’s Honours List it would be, to my mind, a travesty and an oversight of gargantuan proportions. Here’s someone who represents his nation so well. Comfortable in the company of Kings, Princes, politicians, CEO’s, CFO’s and everyone from the very top of the pile to the bottom. When Dalts is in the room you know it, and he’s a rare breed of bird that makes you up your game, no matter whether you are a lowly scribe or an overpaid sailor.
Recognition is due for not only the way that the Kiwi coffers have been filled but for the outstanding culture that is driven from the top and admired globally. Make no mistake, a lot of people work very hard in the Cup but Grant simply works harder than everyone and the goodwill that has been derived from success on the water is something that New Zealanders should be deeply proud of and should celebrate wholeheartedly whilst the nagging argument about taking the Cup overseas is surely one that has run its course. Arise Sir Grant.
Next on the list is the Pistol himself. Currently holding a pretty lowly New Zealand Order of Merit which carries the right to append the letters ‘MNZM’ after his surname, Pete Burling is surely also due a massive upgrade. The MNZM is awarded "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."
Big tick all round on those but after steering three wins in 2017, 2021 and 2024 plus all the Olympic and SailGP success, there’s a huge case, surely, for humble Pete to become ‘Sir Peter Burling’ alongside an equally strong case for the likes of Blair Tuke (also an MNZM), Andy Maloney and Nathan Outteridge to be recognised. The latter is a holder of the OAM, the Order of Australia, awarded in 2014 after gold with Iain Jensen in the 49er at the London 2012 Olympics.
For an insight into the unique culture of Emirates Team New Zealand, I would strongly urge you to watch the You Tube video that I have posted above where Pete sits down with the humourless Nicolai Tangen who desperately tries to draw parallels between the world of sailing and investing. Aside from the finance bro’s line of questions, the Pistol leaves the shed gates just slightly ajar and offers an insight into just how detailed the process of winning an America’s Cup is.
Doing the little things well and coming together as a group in an environment of continual open and honest learning is key. Sounds easy, it’s bloody hard to do consistently. Pete is at the very apex of the group, leading by example and putting insane hours in to achieve at the highest level whilst also steering the Live Ocean Foundation with Blair that is something really gaining traction. The respect he garners both in and out of the team is simply huge and I’m not sure anyone would begrudge the nudge to Knight Bachelor.
One month to go - all eyes on the King’s New Year’s Honours List. Let’s hope the right people are recognised and Grant and Pete get the recognition they so richly deserve.
Magnus Wheatley