Kate Stewart is looking forward to broadening her sailing horizons after joining New Zealand’s SailGP team as a reserve strategist.

The former Warwick Academy student will work alongside Black Foils’ strategist Liv Mackay and also support the team from the coaches’ booth whenever she is not out on the water sailing.

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

Black Foils co-chief executive and Olympic, world and America’s Cup champion Blair Tuke is thrilled to have secured the 27-year-old’s services.

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

The sailor’s Alma mater Warwick Academy is equally as delighted to see the Olympic hopeful joined forces with the Black Foils.

“Congratulations to Kate Stewart, Class of 2017, on signing with the SailGP Black Foils Team as a Reserve Strategist,” the school commented on its Facebook page.

“A fantastic opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the very best in sailing. We’re excited to follow Kate’s journey and see what comes next.”

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 and took part in her first event with the Black Foils at the weekend’s Rockwool Germany Sail Grand Prix, where they finished fourth.

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

The two-times Youth World Championship medal-winner 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,” she said. “Finishing my degree and seeing the fantastic roles and opportunities available to women today drew me back in.

Stewart enjoyed considerable success before putting her sailing career on hold to pursue a degree.

She won the Tauranga Cup in 2014 to become 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.

She then earned back-to-back bronze medals competing alongside of her sister Greta in the double-handed 29er skiff at the 2015 and 2016 Aon Youth World Sailing Championships in Malaysia and New Zealand.

“Kate’s success at youth level was hugely impressive,” said Tuke, who competed against Bermudian siblings Jesse and Zander Kirkland in the double-handed 49er skiff at the 2012 Olympic Games in Weymouth, England.

“After stepping away from the sport for a few years to focus on her studies, she has quietly returned and is already proving herself.”