Sailing: Burling and Tuke scoop top yachting prize

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

The awards keep coming for young sailing maestros Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who last night scooped New Zealand Yachting's top prize for the third straight year.

Burling and Tuke, who completed another unbeaten year in the Olympic 49er skiff class, were named Sailor of the Year at the Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards.

Having etched their names on the historic Sir Bernard Fergusson Trophy again, following victories in 2013 and 2014, the pair are well on the way to becoming New Zealand's most decorated sailors.

Earlier this month the pair took out the highest award in sailing when they were named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year for 2015.

Burling and Tuke also won the 2015 49er World Championship in Argentina last week, becoming the first pairing to win three consecutive world titles in the Olympic skiff class. That win saw them extend an unprecedented unbeaten run of regatta wins to 22 victories in a row.

Both sailors have now been promoted in New Zealand's America's Cup challenge Emirates Team New Zealand. With Burling and Tuke on board, (Burling at the helm) Team NZ has taken podium finishes at the America's Cup World Series regattas in Portsmouth (2nd), Gothenburg (1st) and Bermuda (2nd) to hold the overall lead in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series.

Burling and Tuke's Olympic coach, Hamish Willcox, was also recognised last night, picking up the coach of the year award. The Young Sailor of the Year award went to Jackson Keon and Nick Egnot-Johnson from the Murrays Bay Sailing Club. The Aon Emerging Talent category was jointly awarded to Sam Bacon and Josh Armit.

Kiwi sailors Andrew Murdoch and Josh Junior had solid results in the Finn Gold Cup off Takapuna yesterday as the regatta moves into the penultimate day. Murdoch placed 9th in race six, 6th in race seven and then another 9th to climb back into 5th overall. Junior lifted his overall position from 28th to 14th. Giles Scott of Great Britain still leads the regatta.