Sailing: Duo join greats in winning award

Peter Burling, left and Blair Tuke in the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships. Photo/supplied.

New Zealand's Peter Burling, 24, and Blair Tuke, 26, have achieved so much in their short careers but being awarded the ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year title yesterday is "easily their biggest achievement".

Tauranga's Burling spoke exclusively to the Bay of Plenty Times from Argentina about what it means to win the most prestigious tribute in sailing.

"It was obviously a very special moment for Blair and myself and we are honoured to get that this time. There have been some pretty amazing sailors from New Zealand win the award in the past, with the likes of Russell Coutts, Sir Peter Blake and Mike Sanderson. It is pretty cool to be up there with those guys," Burling said.

Peter Burling, right, and Blair Tuke won the ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year award. Photo / File

"We don't do it for the accolades but we are really happy with how we have been going of late and it is a special one to win. But it is also a cool thing for New Zealand and we have been lucky to have had so many people help us over the years.

"The other guys that have won have managed to help out New Zealand sailing by the time they had finished so hopefully we can do the same."

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie are the other New Zealanders to have won the prestigious award.

It is the second time Burling and Tuke have been nominated. They have won 21 consecutive regattas in the Olympic 49er class since winning silver medals at the 2012 London Olympics, with the most recent just days ago at the 49er South American Championship in Buenos Aries. They also played a vital role in helping Team New Zealand win the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series this year, with Burling at the helm throughout the series.

Burling and Tuke are now focused on defending their 49er title at next week's 2015 World Championships in Buenos Aires.

The pair are in ominous form after winning the 49er South American Championship by a massive margin on Sunday.

"We are a week out from the world champs so we are starting to build into that and trying to tick off all the little things you need to work on before then. It is going to be great to be back out there racing the 49er," Burling said.

"We quite enjoy the pressure of having to perform when it matters and that is what we have really been priding ourselves on over the last few years.

"The big goal is obviously the Olympic Games next year in August and then trying to bring the America's Cup home a year after."