Good Sports: Blair Tuke

Blair Tuke is not only one of New Zealand's favourite athletes, but also Northland's. The Kerikeri sailor caught up with the Northern Advocate while he was at the European 49er Championships on the eve of taking gold. The Europeans were Tuke and 49er partner Peter Burling's first step towards the 2016 Rio Olympics.

How have you found getting back into the 49er after a decent break away?Any adjusting after having spent time in bigger boats over summer?

It has been really fun getting back into the 49er racing at top level. It has taken us a little while to start doing all the little things right but some of the other skills learned from sailing different classes of boats since the Olympics has helped us.

Has Peter Burling missed you?

I'm sure when you've been through so many highs, and celebrations, with a training partner there would be a bit a bromance going on. He seems like a good bloke.

Pete and I have still seen quite a bit of each other since the Games. Some of the other sailing we were doing was together. But we have really enjoyed being back overseas sailing the 49er.

How do you split your time, as in do you get up to Kerikeri to see the family very often? Because you spend most of your time in Auckland training correct?

Appletree Bay in Kerikeri is still home for me, all my stuff is there so I try and spend as much time up North as I can. Obviously with all the time overseas and having the High Performance Sport New Zealand and New Zealand Sailing Team bases in Auckland I am away a bit but would still be in Kerikeri for maybe four months of the year. It involves a lot of driving but that has been made better with my new Volkswagen.

Where do you see yourself ending up in the sailing world?

Do you see yourself following in Northland's Team New Zealand sailer Chris McAsey and sailing in the America's Cup?

Pete and I are aiming for gold in Rio sailing the 49er. After that, the Volvo Ocean Race and AC will be what I want to do. Probably more so the Volvo Ocean Race, I have really been enjoying the ocean racing I have done lately.

What's coming up over the next year for you?

Head home and back in New Zealand for three weeks. Full prep for the Redbull Youth AC, we head to San Fran on August 8 and then racing is September 1-4 (right before the America's Cup). After that we head straight to Europe to prepare for the 49er world champs, which are in Marseille from September 24-29. Busy few months but a pretty exciting time.