“After some back and forth with the team it got more and more serious and I started having more and more chats with both Blair and Pete about the situation ahead.

“At the end of the day, I just had to make the decision that was right for me. I’ve been sailing for a long time with Pete and Blair and the wider Black Foils team, and it felt like the time was right to step out of my comfort zone and take on a new challenge with a new team where I could grow a lot.”

While he dons a new set of colors in the SailGP, Maloney was quick to confirm his interest in continuing in his air traffic controller role with Team NZ in the America’s Cup for their next campaign.

“100%. That’s exactly why I made sure I chatted with (Team NZ chief operating officer) Kevin Shoebridge throughout the process. I 100% want to race for Team New Zealand again in the future and I think Shoeb as well as myself saw this as a really cool growing opportunity for me as a sailor and something that will help me develop, as more of an asset to Team New Zealand as well,” Maloney said.

“I think it will be a great balance if I can do something like this with SailGP with another team and grow as a sailor, and then get back into that Cup environment with the rest of the squad as the tight unit that we’ve been under the last however many years. I think it will be a good balance and hopefully it can play out that way.”

Maloney’s decision to join the Brazilian team for the new season, which begins in Dubai this weekend, was a move made possible by the league updating its nationality rules for the upcoming campaign. After the nationality rules were previously determined by how long a team had been in the league, the new season will be simplified to a certain number required on board depending on the configuration.

The 34-year-old was one of several notable transfers during the off-season. Among the others, Great Britain driver Giles Scott joined Canada, wing trimmer Chris Draper moved from Canada to Australia, while Kiwi grinder Stewart Dodson joined the Swiss team after winning the season four championship with Spain.

Maloney’s move saw a young Kiwi sailor Leo Takahashi Join the Black Foils as an air traffic controller, after spending time with the now-defunct Japanese team in seasons one and two, and the United States in season four.

Takahashi, who was at the helm of Team NZ in the Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona, ​​joins the established group of Tuke, Burling (driver), Liv Mackay (strategist), Louis Sinclair and Marcus Hansen (grinders) aboard his F50 , Amokura.

Tuke, who sails as a wing fitter for Black Foils, said Herald he was not surprised to learn that another team was interested in acquiring Maloney for the upcoming season.

“I’m surprised it took this long,” Tuke said.

“I mean, Andy’s one of the best air traffic controllers in the league, and a new team like that we’ve seen in the league in the last few years when new teams come in and they haven’t had the experience that’s there. It’s taken a long time to get up there.

“(Brazil) have made a smart move to get the experience around them that they have with Leigh (McMillan) in the wing trimmer role and then Andy.

“In general, I think it’s super exciting for the sport and for the league that they have these transitions going on, it just elevates it and we’re really at the forefront of being one of the more experienced teams that has a teammate that gets stolen or headhunted from another team.

“You’re going to see more of it and you just have to roll with it.”

Christopher Reeve joined the Herald’s sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports habits.