Sail GP: Aussie Olympic champs Nathan Outteridge, Iain Jensen now rivals
They are the best of mates but now two of Australia’s most successful athletes are at war on the water.
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It’s one of Australian sports longest and most successful partnerships dating back to when two teenagers jumped into a boat together on Lake Macquarie and won an Australian title.
Now, for only the second time in two decades, childhood mates Nathan Outteridge, 34, and Iain Jensen, 31, are on opposing teams at a major sailing regatta.
The London Olympic gold medallists crewed to three world 49er skiff titles and three minor medals together representing the Australian Olympic team.
They were beside each other in America’s Cup contender campaigns with the Swedish Artemis team and a year ago, just metres apart in the Team Japan F50 as they raced the first ever event of the SailGP series.
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Now, for the first time since they raced with female crew at the 2009 29er championships in Italy, the Wangi Wangi pair will be pitted against each other on opposing boats in the global SailGP series.
“We’ve done a lot together from the Olympics to two America’s Cup with Artemis in 2013 and 2017 plus winning 10 or 15 World Cup medals together,” said Outteridge, skipper of Team Japan while old crewmate Jensen has moved across to join Ben Ainslie’s Team GB.
“This is the first time we are seriously up against each other. “It will be funny.
“I’m sure he will be letting Ben know the in’s and out’s of how to get into my head.
“Ben probably never had a good insight into how I approach things and now he will.
“Goobes (Jensen) is good mates with Tom (Slingsby, Australian skipper) and will have plenty of intel there as well.”
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Slingsby and his Team Australia crew are the defending champions of the Sydney GP which will be raced on Sydney Harbour on Friday and Saturday.
Newcastle sailor Kyle Lanford is part of the Australian campaign.
Ainslie, head of the British America’s Cup campaign, is new to the circuit but along with Jensen has also secured fellow Australian Luke Parkinson from last year’s Team Japan crew.
“It’s a bit sad not to be on a boat with him but we will always be good mates,’’ Jensen said.
“But it will be good competition between us.’’
The three teams - Australia, Japan and Team GB - are favourite to dominate in the opener of the series which will be raced Friday and Saturday on Sydney Harbour.
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