SailGP Sydney: Awful sledge still firing up one of worlds top sailors Tom Slingsby

It’s the awful sledge made to Tom Slingsby as a kid he will never forget but reckons has made him into the sailor he is today - and favourite for a big win this weekend and a fourth SailGP crown.

Tom Slingsby is one of the greats of Australian sport. Pictures: SailGP

Olympian, America's ’s Cup winner and multiple world sailor of the year Tom Slingsby has made himself the most marked man in sailing with a taunt urging the young guns of the sport to stand up and be counted against the older sailors and he’s unrepentant and unworried about it.

In fact, Slingsby has revealed someone questioning his ability and future in the sport when he was just a kid lit a fire in his belly that has seen him become one of the world’s top sailors.

“The told me I would never be an Olympic sailor, never,’’ revealed Slingsby, who went on to win gold at the London Olympics, four world crowns in the single-handed Laser, multiple world titles in other classes, including the foiling Moth and Etchells, two America's ’s Cups, three SailGP series and assorted Sydney to Hobart yacht races.

“I know when anyone told me in my sailing career I couldn’t do something I did it.

“I won’t say who it was, but I got told plenty of times I couldn’t do things.

“I remember the person who told me I wouldn’t make it to the Olympics. As a junior sailor I wasn’t that good. I was moderate. I didn’t do anything in junior classes and in Lasers I was in the 60s in a couple of national titles.

Three-time SailGP champion Tom Slingsby.

“So it was only when I was 17 or 18 that I started improving and 18 when I got the breakthrough result of a seventh at a world title.

“After that I was always kind of hoping someone would say something negative to fire me up.’’

Slingsby maintains his challenge to the younger generation on the SailGP circuit was neither mean or malicious, just a response to insinuations two legends of world sailing had aged out of the league.

“I think I’ve got a career as a motivational speaker,’’ Slingsby, 39, and the oldest skipper on the circuit, said on Friday. “I have definitely upset a few people.

Tom Slingsby is one of the top sailors in the world.

“I don’t know why, but I took it a bit personally that they were saying Jimmy Spithill and Ben Ainslie were forced out of the league by the new young generation.

“I was basically saying they weren’t forced out, they chose to retire (from SailGP) and they were still at the top of the game and beating the young guys.

“The young guys haven’t proven themselves like those guys have.

“A lot was taken out of context but I said a lot of it. I stand by those words.

“Some people will take that as being mean and other people will take it as motivation.’’

Racing in the Sydney leg of the series is from 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Slingsby and his team are leading the series overall but still chasing their first leg win of the season.

“We want it here. We want it badly,’’ Slingsby said.