Peter Burling (left) and Blair Tuke claimed the title off Rio de Janeiro. Photo / Sailing Energy
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have underlined their places as the future of New Zealand sailing with victory in the 49er class at the Olympic test event off Rio de Janeiro.
The pair finished fourth in the medal race to secure the title. They sailed conservatively to cover Austria, the
only crew with the potential to steal the overall win on Guanabara Bay.
Burling and Tuke have dominated the 49er class over the past three years after securing silver at the London Games. They have delivered an unprecedented string of 20 consecutive victories in major events. No other 49er sailor has been unbeaten for 12 months.
"This was a big objective for us one year out from the Games," Tuke said.
"We started off pretty solid, not fantastic, but we got better during the week," Burling added. "We had a pretty big lead but it was mathematically possible for the Austrians to beat us so we stuck with them."
