Tom Slingsby OAM
“Regarded as one of the world sailing’s greats. A multiple world sailor of the year and cross class master with Olympic and world titles and success in great regattas including the America’s Cup.”
A true sailing legend, Tom Slingsby’s extraordinary achievements have made him an inspiration to aspiring sailors worldwide.
Olympic Champion and multiple World Champion, Tom is widely acknowledged as one of the best sailors of his generation. His cross-class mastery has been celebrated globally and has seen him named World Sailor of the Year on two occasions, more than any other Australian.
Tom grew up in Koolewong, New South Wales, and started sailing at the Gosford Sailing Club at the age of five.
He was inspired to pursue a career on the water after watching the Sydney 2000 sailors on his iconic home harbour.
“The thing that made me want to sail was sitting on the rocks at the Olympics - I went down every day for two weeks to watch the sailing. I used to sit on Bradley’s Head for five or six hours and just watch the sailors come right in, tacking close to the rocks and I remember that was the sign that was what I really wanted to do,” said Slingsby.
After finishing 61st at his first Radial Nationals, he spent the next year training, winning on his next attempt.
Between 2005 and 2012 Tom dominated the Laser class. He won two World Championships leading in to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where the heavier Slingsby finished 22nd in a light-wind regatta.
The disappointment of that result drove Tom to new levels for his London 2012 campaign.
He won three consecutive Laser world championships before his Games win off Weymouth.
At the Olympics, the world number one placed first in four of the opening 10 races and finished second in three others.
Following his Olympic success, Tom joined Oracle Team USA as a strategist in 2013, helping mount one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport when they came from 8-1 down to win the 34th America’s Cup 9-8.
He also sailed with the team in their 2017 defense and will sail with the New York Yacht Club’s Challenger American Magic in 2024.
Proving his versatility, in 2016 Slingsby skippered the supermaxi Perpetual Loyal to line honours victory in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and in 2021 helmed Comanche to line honours and a race record in the Middle Sea Race.
Tom has collected World Championships across multiple classes over the years, with his relentless pursuit of excellence earning him titles in the Etchells, Devoti One and Moth classes.
For his efforts, Tom was named World Sailing Male Sailor of the Year in 2010 and 2021, Australian Sailing Male Sailor of the Year a record five times, and the Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year in 2012.
More recently, Tom has become a driving force in the exhilarating world of SailGP.
As the skipper and CEO of the Australia SailGP Team, he has led his crew to victory in each of the first three seasons.
