Blair Tuke and Mikayla Plaw are soon to welcome their first child.
The couple share a love of sailing and ocean conservation. Plaw annually competes in the Bay of Islands Sailing Week, where she has often skippered her team to line honours.
Understood to be well into her third trimester, Plaw is said to have skipped competing in last month’s Sailing Week and instead celebrated her impending arrival with friends and family. The baby shower is understood to have been on Plaw’s parents’ elegant Royal Huisman-built 34m aluminium yacht, Sassafras.
The Plaw family’s Royal Huisman-built 34m aluminium yacht, Sassafras. Photo / boatinternational.com
Waikato-based Mitch and Kate Plaw, who have an estimated worth of more than $120 million, are owners of New Zealand’s largest aluminium joinery business, Architectural Profiles Limited (APL), which Mitch inherited from his late parents.
Mikayla is an executive director at Profile Group, the parent company of APL, and the director of the Takapoto Classic, which takes place this month at her parents’ Waikato estate.
Mikayla Plaw, and parents Mitch and Kate Plaw, are hosting the Takapoto Classic at their Waikato estate.
The Plaws are well-known philanthropists who have lovingly restored their 243ha estate, 3km of which runs beside Lake Karapiro. Part of their restoration work included employing experts to create a world-class equestrian facility.
Lucinda Burling, wife of Tuke’s fellow America’s Cup champion, Olympian and Black Foil Peter Burling, was on the Sassafras to celebrate with her good friend Plaw. The Burlings are now based in Italy while Peter prepares for the America’s Cup, but have been travelling the world for the SailGP series. Lucinda no doubt shared tips with Plaw about what it’s like travelling with a baby; she and Peter are parents to Paloma, their nearly 2-year-old daughter.
Lucinda and Peter Burling at the SailGP in New York.
Celebrity foodie Polly Markus was also on Sassafras for Plaw’s baby shower. She and long-term partner Matt Gordon, associate director of sales and leasing at Bayley’s Real Estate, welcomed their first child, daughter Dali Rose, last August.
Also at the shower was London-based Kiwi Victoria Harris, founder of finance platform The Curve. She has been home in New Zealand over the summer with her partner, golf commentator George Harper Jnr.
Lucy Kirkwood, owner of design and branding studio Friends of Friends, was also there. In 2024, Lucy, Lucinda, Polly, Victoria and Mikayla were all in Barcelona together, cheering on Tuke and Burling from super yachts to see them win their third America’s Cup for Team New Zealand.
Baby shower guests for Blair Tuke’s new partner, Mikayla Plaw, included (from left) Lucy Kirkwood, Victoria Harris and celeb chef Polly Markus, pictured here in Barcelona for the 2024 America’s Cup.
Society Insider is told the guest list also included Partridge Jewellers creative director Madeline Saxton-Beer; Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Ellis, and Plaw’s Waikato friend Bex Freestone, who is the operations manager at Metalhartt Roofing.
The afternoon is understood to have had no baby shower fuss, just simple sailing with girlfriends and cocktails, with Plaw giving a speech to thank everyone for their support.
Tuke and Plaw have their hands full with numerous commitments and declined to comment on their impending parenthood to Society Insider.
America’s Cup and SailGP sailor Blair Tuke is in a relationship with Mikayla Plaw, daughter of rich-listers Kate and Mitch Plaw.
As well as preparing for the SailGP this weekend, Tuke has been on a media blitz, drumming up excitement for the event.
With good humour, Tuke took a few expert tips last week from Radio Hauraki Breakfast hosts Jeremy Wells and Manaia Stewart, as the trio took a light-hearted lap of the SailGP course aboard the Fin Chaser 535 CC – a prize boat being given away by the station.
Who are Auckland’s most eligible singles?
Auckland’s most glamorous and well-established couples are no doubt preparing for a romantic weekend to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But who are the well-known faces and party people who are riding solo? Society Insider profiles some of Auckland’s most eligible singles.
Alex King
Newly single Celebrity Treasure Island contestant, singer, radio host and actor Alex King plans to spend Valentine’s Day with girlfriends, ahead of her debut on Shortland Street.
Alex King will be starring on Shortland Street soon.
The Waipū-born daughter of comedian and mental health campaigner Mike King, who will play Dr Izzy Dove on the long-running medical soap, split from her long-term boyfriend three months ago.
King tells Society Insider that chasing the “perfect” guy has probably been detrimental to her love life.
“What matters most is a genuinely good person with strong self-awareness and excellent communication skills. Someone grounded, kind, and emotionally intelligent. Tall and handsome is always a bonus, though,” she says, with a laugh.
Alex King is recently single.
King says she once struck gold with the dating app Hinge, which ended in a short relationship, but has ruled out dating apps in the future.
Based on the North Shore for the past seven years, King is a regular on Auckland’s social scene. You’ll find her dining at Soul Bar & Bistro and Oyster & Chop at the Viaduct, in Ponsonby at Beau, Jacuzzi and Hotel Ponsonby, or dancing at Shy Guy in Victoria Park.
If you’re hoping to impress her, she says her perfect date is “great drinks, delicious food and even better company; a simple night done well.”
Alex King at the tennis this year.
Auckland FC’s Lachlan Brook and Jake Girdwood-Reich
Two Auckland FC players are serious about finding a date for Valentine’s Day.
Lachlan Brook and Jake Girdwood-Reich have been Auckland FC’s most eligible bachelors for Valentine’s Day. The club has been running a competition on its website to win a date with the single players.
Auckland FC tells Society Insider the response has been strong for both of its Aussie-imported players, and the competition closes on Monday.
The dinner will be at Soul Bar & Bistro.
On Valentine’s Day, both lads will be training in the morning before heading out to Sydney the next day.
Sydney-born defensive midfielder Girdwood-Reich, 21, says he usually meets dates through social media but is not averse to being set up on blind dates.
Jake Girdwood-Reich is a defensive midfielder for Auckland FC.
Being in a new city, Girdwood-Reich has also been on Tinder, where he gets quite a few swipes.
“I’m looking for someone who looks after themselves, is ambitious, and has a plan in life,” Girdwood-Reich tells Society Insider.
“They also need to be pretty patient and understanding. Our schedule means we’re away from home a lot, and when we’re not away, we’re training.”
His perfect dates include walks along Auckland’s waterfront or on the beach, followed by a coffee.
Jake Girdwood-Reich loves the beach, a walk and a coffee.
Meanwhile, his South Australian-born teammate Lachlan Brook, 25, says it’s been a long time since he’s been on a proper date, because of years of travelling in the United States and Australia with his football career.
He’s now trying to “put himself out there a bit more” and trying to “make a conscious effort to meet people organically”.
Lachlan Brook is a forward for Auckland FC.
When he does date, he prefers to keep things simple. “Nothing too intimidating or ostentatious, maybe a coffee and walk.” His favourite spot is Bodega on Ponsonby Rd, which he says is great for people watching.
Brook says he is looking for someone “loyal and honest, who can laugh at themselves and isn’t too uptight”.
“I’m pretty laid back and open and would want someone who matches that vibe,” he says.
Auckland FC player Lachlan Brook.
Summer Busch
Rich-list sources tell Society Insider that Summer Busch is the single girl to know, both here and in Australia.
The former St Cuthbert’s student has carved out a successful career in lifestyle and PR, and over the past year has set up an outpost of Auckland’s Public Library public relations firm in Sydney. She has many friends who are daughters of rich-listers and are based in places across the world.
Summer Busch is a transtasman PR powerhouse.
Summer Busch in Sydney.
Bondi-based Busch, 27, now splits her time between Australia and New Zealand. When she’s not immersed in work, you can find her wherever the week’s social moment is; intimate dinners, buzzy openings, or relaxed catchups with friends at the beach or a cute wine bar. She is well known to Society Insider as an essential fun guest for any event, but also values family, genuine connections, humour, and honesty.
Summer Busch brings the effervescence to every party.
Dating intel from those who know her suggests that her ideal first date is low-pressure and high-chemistry: shared plates, a proper drink and easy conversation.
Busch’s hidden talent is knowing exactly the right place to be and when. Perhaps Mr Right will be waiting for her this weekend – we hear she will be attending the wedding of food influencer Amelia Ferrier of Melie’s Kitchen Instagram fame, and Kiwibank commercial growth manager Jack Laity, the brother of Hannah Barrett.
Summer Busch.
Carlos Turner
Summer Busch’s best friend is Los Angeles-based Cameo Turner, whose older brother, Carlos, is single, Society Insider has been told.
Cameo and Carlos Turner.
Carlos, 31, is the son of Sleepyhead rich-lister Craig Turner and his wife, former model Cara Pollock Turner.
The family home is the famous pink mansion on Paritai Drive, an exclusive street in Auckland’s Ōrākei, whose other residents include former Real Housewives stars Gilda Kirkpatrick and Louise Wallace. The Turner home has its own expansive bachelor pad in the basement, where Carlos has been known to entertain friends.
Carlos attended King’s College and has a Bachelor of Industrial and Product Design from the Auckland University of Technology. He works as a technical development engineer for Asia Pacific at The Comfort Group, Australasia’s biggest mattress and foam manufacturer, owned by his father Craig and uncle Graeme. The company is six years into its $1.2 billion, 178ha Sleepyhead Estate Development at Ōhinewai in North Waikato.
Carlos Turner with his father, Craig.
Carlos, who is now among the fourth generation of family working in the business, has been spending a lot of time with his father, Craig, at Ōhinewai, as the mega plant and residential development comes to life.
In his downtime, Carlos is a keen DJ and enjoys entertaining friends at the family compound in the Bay of Islands.
Carlos Turner enjoys DJing in his spare time.
Benjamin Boyne
Benjamin Boyne is the guy to talk to if you want to enjoy Auckland’s hospitality scene.
As head of reservations for Savor Group, whose 20 establishments include hotspots Bivacco, Amano, Azabu and Non Solo Pizza, he’s regularly mixing with Auckland’s Champagne set.
Boyne, 30, grew up on a coastal farm in the Wairarapa, then enjoyed the ski scene in Wānaka before moving to Auckland in 2022.
Benjamin Boyne is the hospitality man about town.
Boyne tells Society Insider his background is a real mix, from being on the tools as a sparky through to high-end fashion, hospitality, and even a stint as a florist.
“My career path hasn’t been ordinary, but it’s always been people-driven. I naturally gravitate toward fast-paced, social environments centred around great experiences,” he says.
Boyne, who hasn’t had a boyfriend in a few years, says that on Valentine’s Day he will run away to Waiheke Island with his best mates, unless this mention in Society Insider helps get him some romantic attention.
“I’m single, and I genuinely enjoy it. I have an incredible family, close friends. I’m simply open to sharing that with the right person,” he says.
Boyne says he is very grounded and likes to keep things simple, honest, and real, and is drawn to people who are emotionally intelligent, curious, and comfortable being themselves.
Benjamin Boyne is open to a relationship.
Bri Barrett
Bri Barrett, 27, is a content creator, freelance marketer in the music industry, podcaster, and a shareholder in Edna Swart’s skincare business (ed&i).
She has been single for two years, but says she’s not in a rush to meet someone, after coming out of a seven-year relationship when she was 25.
Barrett says she is big on nature and solo missions. For her birthday last month, she went freedom camping alone in the North Island. Her solo travels don’t always go to plan; while white water rafting, she suffered a concussion and a fractured nose.
Bri Barrett has a successful career and is open to finding the right man.
On Valentine’s Day, she’s working at the Carl Cox Aotearoa Winery Tour at Waiheke’s Wild Estate.
“Who knows, maybe I’ll meet a single suitor in the crowd between sets?” she says.
If that turns into a date, Barrett would love her suitor to surprise her.
“I’m very spontaneous, and I love when someone takes initiative and plans something a bit unexpected,” she says.
Meeting someone who at least understands her joy in travelling the world appeals to Barrett, and she says she is an “incredibly loyal, affectionate” partner who is “very all-in”.
“I’m the kind of person who becomes your biggest fan,” she says.
“At this age, I’m passionate about both people in a relationship going after their goals.
“I want to be with someone ambitious and driven, and I’ll be right there supporting them while building my own dreams too.”
Bri Barrett wants someone who can keep up with her love of music festivals.
Party People of the week
Footy, Fillies and Fans launch
Four sporting codes came together high above the city last Wednesday as Footy, Fillies and Fans was officially launched at Auckland’s Sky Tower.
Running from Friday March 6 to Sunday March 8, the action will see the Blues, Warriors and Auckland FC all play home games, while Auckland Thoroughbred Racing will host Champions’ Day at Ellerslie, headlined by New Zealand’s richest race, the $4 million NZB Kiwi.
From 53 floors up, guests could spot the various venues as they enjoyed drinks and canapes and a lively panel discussion from Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) CEO Paul Wilcox, Blues CEO Karl Budge, Warriors CEO Cameron George and Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker.
Angus McDougall, Paul Wilcox and Ryan Teece. Photo / Radlab
Conan Lindsay, Karl Budge and Tina Jensen. Photo / Radlab
Cameron George and Nick Becker at the Sky Tower. Photo / Radlab
Attendees were also able to hop into a giant cash machine activation, which has spent the past few weeks travelling the country offering fans the chance to win a share in the “People’s Horse”, which is running in the richest race on Champions’ Day.
Guests included former All Black and Auckland FC co-owner Ali Williams, ATR ambassador Ryan Teece, former Warriors’ players Monty Betham and Shaun Johnson, and current players across the codes.
Ali Williams tries out the NZB Kiwi cash machine at the Sky Tower. Photo / Radlab
Jessica Ingram, Liz Connoley and Ryan Teece. Photo / Radlab
Cody Vai, Jed Melvin, Shaun Johnson and Monty Betham. Photo / Radlab
Janika ter Ellen and Wilhelmina O’Keeffe. Photo / Radlab
Glenn Harris, Jessie Gower and Scott Couch. Photo / Radlab
Madi Hewett and Jo Martin. Photo / Radlab
Callan Elliot and Lachlan Brook. Photo / Radlab
Flyn Yates, Cody Vai and Jed Melvin. Photo / Radlab
Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.