Patience sets his sights on new horizons after Tokyo

Scottish sailor Luke Patience will begin his quest for a maiden world title in Denmark today but the London 2012 silver medallist has signalled he is ready to pilot a different course after the Tokyo Olympics in two years time.

The 31-year-old Aberdonian, who has twice finished runner-up in the global showpiece, will link up with Chris Grube in the 470 class with high hopes in the wake of their World Cup victory in Miami earlier this season.

The motivation remains high, Patience declares. However, regardless of results en route to his third Games, there are other quests which are set to stoke his fires.

“I’ve always thought about retirement a lot,” he revealed. “It’s healthy to know what you’re aiming towards isn’t do or die and that life won’t end there. An older Luke with a third Olympics coming up knows it doesn’t define him. I don’t go ‘if I don’t get a gold medal, it will all have been a waste.’ It’s just a challenge, a hurdle to jump. I’ll be trying to win but I might not.

“But what does have my heart after Olympics is ocean racing. I would love to get into the Volvo Ocean Race and lead a team and win that. It’s a feat of endurance where you’re on the edge of making sure people come home alive. It’s like going up Everest and it appeals to me.”

With points now counting towards qualifying for Tokyo, Patience and Grube – who were paired at the eleventh hour ahead of Rio 2016 but finished fifth – head into the world championships with ambitions to cement their berth at the earliest possible opportunity. Victory here would take them close. “We’re ranked pretty highly,” the Scot declared. “So I’d like to think we have a chance.”