She’s used to racing at breakneck speed, but even Olympic sailor Erica Dawson admits the past year of her life has been the fastest, most exhilarating ride yet. The whirlwind began with a romantic lakeside proposal in the French Alps, where Erica said yes to her partner, world sailing champion Matt Steven.
What followed was a surge of life-changing moments – winning a bronze medal aat the Paris Olympics, racing in the inaugural women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona, getting married back home on her family farm and now preparing to welcome their first child in October.
The couple, who’ve been together for six years, had only a short lead-in to their mid-winter wedding day.
Awedding, a baby, and perfect timing
“We were talking about a December wedding, but we were trying for a baby at the same time,” Erica, 31, says.
“We weren’t expecting to get pregnant so quickly – we’re so fortunate. But it meant we had to bring the wedding date forward.”
It all turned out to be perfect timing for Erica, who was ready to take a break after a hectic few years of sailing at two Olympics, on the SailGP circuit and in the America’s Cup. She also plans to finish her Master’s degree in sustainability before the baby arrives.
Erica was 24 weeks into her pregnancy when she married Matt, 35, at her parents’ rural property in Coatesville, north of Auckland.
Laughs Matt, “A week later and she wouldn’t have fitted into her wedding dress!”
While it was an unseasonably warm winter’s day for the outdoor ceremony, the couple both wore gumboots as they strode through a paddock of long grass, with grazing cows watching on curiously.
Gumboots, mountains and a proposal
“We just love getting in our gumboots – it’s so us,” Erica says.
“Once Matt put them on for the photos, he wore them for the whole night!”
A year earlier, Erica thought they were simply taking a quick break in their final build-up to the Olympic sailing regatta. But Matt saw it as the perfect time to pop the question. The couple were both in Europe for the Games, with Erica sailing in the Nacra 17 multihull class for her second Olympics, and Matt coaching the Kiwi 49er crew of Will McKenzie and Isaac McHardie.
Taking a rare week off from their preparation, Erica and Matt hired a campervan to drive through the French Alps. Matt grabbed the opportunity on the first day to propose.
“We were freedom camping on the side of the road by a lake, surrounded by mountains topped with snow,” recalls Matt.
“We’d just been for a swim and we were sitting on the beach with a coffee.”
A proposal with a twist
He had planned to ask Erica earlier in the year, but Erica’s brother Barnie stole his thunder by announcing his own wedding plans on a family group call. So Matt hid the engagement ring he’d chosen under the driver’s seat of their car, then took it with him to Europe.
Erica loved the diamond engagement ring, but she couldn’t actually wear it!
“It didn’t fit because my fingers were so swollen from pulling on ropes,” she explains.
“After the Olympics, my fingers started shrinking back – now it fits perfectly.”
With Matt’s proposal on the eve of the Olympics, Erica says she didn’t see it coming.
“It was so cool because we had a whole week to ourselves to really enjoy it,” she admits.
“It was a boost for me too – after such an intense couple of years, it reminds you there’s so much more to life than just sailing.”
Keeping it close to the crew
The couple decided to share their good news with close teammates, but didn’t make their engagement public until after the euphoria surrounding Erica’s Olympic bronze medal began to quieten down.
However, as professional sailors, Erica and Matt quickly moved on to the next challenge – the America’s Cup.
Erica made history sailing in Team NZ’s first all-women crew, while Matt, who was in Spain to cheer on his fiancée, got a last-minute invite to join Team NZ’s weather coaching crew. The couple shared the spotlight when the Kiwis won, stepping on stage to hold the Auld Mug together.
Back at home on Auckland’s North Shore, Matt and Erica turned their attention to starting a family, and quickly organising a wedding. The venue was always going to be the back garden of the Coatesville property where Erica spent her childhood, with the reception under a large marquee holding 120 guests.
Forecasting the perfect day
Matt, who grew up in Wellington’s Worser Bay, used his weather expertise to provide forecast updates ahead of the wedding day. It meant he could help Erica’s dad Pete time the mowing of the beautifully manicured lawns perfectly.
Sustainability also played a major role in the wedding.
“We tried to make our big day have very little waste and avoided buying new things,” says Erica, who wore a second-hand Rue de Seine gown.
“My whole outfit was either borrowed or second-hand, from Mum and Nana’s jewellery right down to my op-shop gumboots.”
A close-knit celebration
Olympic silver medallist Molly Meech, who married in December, had worn the veil before Erica. Matt’s Australia-based aunty made the wedding cake, which she brought with her across the Tasman, and greenery was foraged from around the farm, including the wedding arch Matt built an hour before guests arrived.
The couple opted not to have a bridal party, as some of their closest friends were overseas and unable to make the day. Erica narrowly avoided a last-minute mishap as she stood at the start of the aisle, arm-in-arm with her father, when he noticed she was missing her bridal bouquet.
“It was special because my nana had made it for me,” explains Erica.
“Dad ran up the stairs and grabbed the bouquet while our wedding song was playing.”
The pair wrote their own vows, sharing them with a friend a couple of days before the wedding.
“We wanted to make sure we were on the same page!” Erica tells.
The accomplished sailor hasn’t ruled out returning for her third Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 – this time as a mum athlete. For now, the couple is happy cruising on a yacht, saying it’ll be the perfect way to introduce their baby to sailing in summer.
