Sailing: Tuke: Best is yet to come

Kerikeri sailor Blair Tuke (foreground) and his men's 49er teammate Peter Burling are on a golden path to Rio 2016. Photo / Sailing Energy

Kerikeri's Blair Tuke is looking forward to heading home to New Zealand next week, but he'll have a golden sheen lingering in the back of his mind.

Fresh off a first-place finish at the recent Olympic test event in Rio de Janeiro, Tuke and his New Zealand 49er teammate Peter Burling are breezing downwind towards a goal that's been almost seven years in the making.

"The Olympic gold is what we've been aiming for ever since we started sailing so everything we've done has been geared towards next year," Tuke said.

Skimming past their competitors at the Rio test event, Tuke and Burling's performance reiterated the unique pairing the duo have developed on the water.

"It's not a world championship but this is one we wanted to win this year," Tuke said of his and Burling's success at the Rio test event.

"We knew that we'd been going nicely lately but to lay down a performance like that a year out from the Games on the Olympic waters just boosted the confidence a little more."

Tuke hinted their best is yet to come.

"The relationship Pete and I have now is really strong on the boat. For Pete and I, we've sailed together for about six/seven years now so a lot of things have become intuitive. A lot of the time Pete doesn't need to say where he's putting the boat, I'll be ready for it and likewise the other way around.

"We've both got that sort of eagerness to keep improving each day we're on the water and I think that's what keeps us gong every time we're out there. We enjoy the racing and each other's company and I think it's just all ticking over nicely."

Intent on going one better than their silver medal finish at the 2012 Olympics in London, the double world champions will defend their world title in November at the 49er World Championships in Buenos Aires before having to do the same again at the 2016 49er World Championships in the United States in February.

"We're really pleased with where we are but we're not taking it for granted and we're going to need to get a lot better than where we are now if we want to stand on the top step next year," Tuke said.

"We've got a world champs at the end of the year where we'll be wanting to defend our title but with this regatta being on Olympic waters we wanted to give it a good shot and we're pleased to have done that.

"This is our fourth trip to Rio so we're getting to know the place pretty well. The current in the bay is really hard but it's just about adapting really. The more time we spend here the more we learn - there's plenty to work on, which is exciting for us."