Slingsby aims for three World titles

'Laser Worlds 2008 - Tom Slingsby' C & C Images

Australia's Tom Slingsby is aiming for his third Laser World title in a row, he was second in Korea in 2005, won in Portugal in 2006 and Gosford in 2007 and he is looking towards the 2009 Laser World Championships in Halifax Canada and then to London 2012.

But early in the Olympic cycle he is determined to freshen up. How best to do that .well how about aiming for the World titles in A-Class catamarans, Etchells and Farr 40's.

These days Tom has that big grin back on his face, certainly a broad smile compared to the rueful grimaces after his 22nd in the very light weather Laser Olympic regatta in Qingdao

'I've been at Gosford Sailing Club, setting up my A-Class catamaran. So I'm going to have a bit of fun for awhile - I'm aiming for the A-class Worlds. on Lake Macquarie 30km north of here in January 2009

Right now I'm still setting up the boat. Before I stepped onto the A-Cat. I'd sailed a Hobie cat for about half an hour and I crewed once in my life - it's the complete opposite end of the spectrum for a Laser sailor.

I am hoping Glenn Ashby (five times World A- Cat World champion and a fellow member of the Australian Sailing team) will give me a few pointers. I'm sure once he sees me sail for the first few times he'll have no problems doing that.

I need all the help I can get - I think any weekend warrior would be able to coach me for awhile - hopefully I'll pick it up. I've got a bit of time during the week so I can do a bit of training and hopefully get going ok.

Nathan Outteridge (Australian 49er helm) has just bought a boat also and we just want to try a new bit of sailing away from Olympic sailing and have a bit of fun with these for a few months.

That's the plan anyway, we've just got to make sure we get the spots to the World's - we're trying to get wildcard spots, I think.

I am looking forward to the A-class. I've been doing a little bit and its a pretty steep learning curve. Hopefully a few people will give me a few tips and see what I'm doing wrong and point me in the right direction because I'm aiming at the World's in January so I've got three months to learn and get on the pace, so we'll see.

'I've done a few seasons on Sydney 38's and Farr 40's as a tactician. This year I'm sailing with Guido Belgiorno Nettis's Farr 40 Transfusions team - we've got a full campaign and we're aiming for a good result in the 2009 Farr $o Worlds in Sardinia. We'll be doing the Australian summer and then a couple of lead up events in Europe and then the Worlds in mid-June in Porto Cervo.

Then there are the Etchells. I've trying to qualify for the Etchells Worlds as well with the Gosford fleet, so my Saturdays are taken up with that each week.

It's been traditionally a strong Etchells fleet at Gosford. We have about eleven boats and it's gotten a lot stronger again. It's good racing every Saturday.

I'll steer a boat, I'm doing each Saturday sailing with my Dad and the normal crew on the boat - because my Dad's always sailed them - but I'm not too sure yet about the crew for the World's - I'm still trying to confirm a few things - I've got a few people in mind.

Dads sailed Etchells for so many years he gives me more tips than I give him.

But hopefully I will make it to the Etchells Worlds in March in Melbourne at Royal Brighton.

Lasers are going to play a backseat role for this Australian summer, but wherever they fit in I'd love to do an event.

I think the Laser's Sail Brisbane and Sail Sydney clash with the Farr 40 events and Etchells events.

At the moment I think nothing clashes with Sail Melbourne so if I can I'll take the week and head down and have another crack.

Tom Slingsby - 2007 and 2008 Laser World Champion aims for London 2012 - Sail-World.com- AUS&copy Click Here to view large photo

I'm just keeping a general fitness thing going - I mean I wasn't home for two days before I was back in the gym and out riding my bike, getting my leg muscles strong again - I'm going to keep that in mind for when I do come back in the Lasers - I want to be fully hiking fit and ready to go.

When we flew back from Qingdao- our feet hardly touched the ground and we were flying up to Hamilton Island Race Week. really enjoyed it. It was a good way to come down from the whole experience - it's quite hard coming from the whole Olympic atmosphere and all the hype over there to coming home to the Central Coast and getting up each day and not doing anything.

It was a good stepping stone to realise that the Olympics are over and start to settle back into normal life (even though we were put up in six star accommodation at Qualia on Hamilton Island) -but it was a good way to relax and a good ending to the whole experience.

I'm not too sure exactly what my European summer plan is yet, but I'd like to do some of the big Laser Grade one events - I'm going to have another go at the Laser Worlds in Canada - go for number three in the Laser - I have to see what fits in with yacht regattas and what fits in well for each event.

My European track record's not bad and the Worlds are in Halifax in Canada, they start on August 17th. From what I've heard - I heard they get pretty nice breezes - fifteen knots is the way it happens over there, I've been told - look forward to breezes again.

In the lead up to Qingdao every day we were getting reports saying Weymouth is 30 knots again today - and I was definitely jealous - I wish I was over there - because they can't really call off the Olympics so I'm sure they would have sent us out and I think I would have been loving it.

For Qingdao I set a weight loss target of around eleven kilos - and I think 10.7 was what I got to - and I've lost, so for me that was one of the hardest things for sure - some people are just naturally smaller than me so they were able to get down to weight a bit easier than I was - that was torture, there, for a few months.

Looking forward to 2012, being able to sail at my natural weight will be a whole lot nicer and I think that's what people would prefer to do instead of dieting like we did in China.

In Qingdao my weight was 75-76 kg and since then I've definitely eaten my fair share - I'm back to 82-83kg my natural weight, so hopefully I can hold it for awhile - I've started weighing in for the Farr 40 events.

by Sail-World