Live Ocean Racing

Representing New Zealand, Live Ocean Racing is a racing team with purpose baked into our DNA. We race on the ocean, for the ocean sharing vision and purpose with our sister entity – marine conservation charity Live Ocean Foundation.

Live Ocean Racing’s first campaign was in the ETF26 in 2022 led by female foiling skipper Liv Mackay, finishing 5th in their opening foray in the class. In 2023 Live Ocean Racing returned with Mackay at the helm again, leading a crew that featured some new faces. They closed the season 4th overall.

In 2024 Mackay will lead Live Ocean Racing’s third ETF26 campaign, this year switching to a 3-person configuration having raced 4-up in ’22 and ’23. Leonard Takahashi and Oscar Gunn join the team as core crew for 2024. 2024 will be Mackay’s third year as campaign lead and skipper for Live Ocean Racing. This year the rising talent will combine this with other significant sailing commitments including her role as Black Foils Strategist in the SailGP league, and her position on the Puig Women’s America’s Cup Team.

Takahashi and Gunn are two of New Zealand’s best young sailing talents, both named in the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup line-up for New Zealand. Takahashi (who was born in Japan, and lives in New Zealand) was with Japan’s SailGP team and is now racing with the USA SailGP team.

Gunn is an accomplished 49er sailor whose push for Olympic selection for Paris 2024 was cut short when his 49er sailing partner suffered a campaign ending injury. Takahashi sailed one event in the ETF26 with Live Ocean Racing in 2022 as a substitute sailor, while GP Mar Menor 2024 will be Gunn’s first in the boat.