(CNN) Just two months on from lifting the oldest trophy in sport, Blair Tuke is already setting his sights on something no sailor has ever achieved.
The Kiwi has proved his credentials in both fleet racing and match racing -- winning Olympic gold in the 49er class, and the 35th Americas Cup with Emirates Team New Zealand.
Now he's going global, turning his attentions to the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR).
"It's a different boat, but a lot of the same principles of sailing are here," Tuke tells CNN, having joined Spanish team MAPFRE.
"You go out and make the boat go fast, day in day out without any respite -- that's something which is pretty exciting."
One thing's for sure, it'll be a major departure from the azure waters of Bermuda's Great Sound.
The VOR pits the best professional crews against each other through some of the most inhospitable waters on the planet.
Could you survive on four hours sleep and a chocolate bar?
The Volvo Ocean Race is a grueling 45,000-mile race around the world through some of the fiercest seas on the planet. Carolijn Brouwer (pictured) braves the elements on board DongFeng Race Team.
Sailor Eric Peron pulls on waterproof gear during the Volvo Ocean Race -- a competition described as the "Everest of Sailing."
The race kicked off in Alicante, Spain, in October, and will finish nine months later in Gothenburg, Sweden. Sailors must be physically -- and emotionally -- strong to thrive in the world's most savage seas.
Sailor Ryan Houston shows off his prune-like hands after a morning of heavy rain.
Seven teams go head-to-head in the epic race which stops at 11 ports and covers 45,000 miles. Here, Luke "Parko" Parkinson wipes the salt out of his eyes during a stint along the Vietnamese coast.
Launched in 1973, the Volvo Ocean Race is one of the toughest sporting competitions in the world, claiming three lives in the first year alone.
At sea, water infiltrates everything -- including toilet paper.
Sailor Rokas Milevicius takes a moment to shave during Leg 3 between Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Sanya, China.
The competition includes one all-female team -- SCA -- who have 11 sailors on board. All other teams have eight sailors. Here, members of the women's crew strap themselves into bunks during a sleeping shift.
Living conditions are tight, and everything must have its place.
Waves traveling at 20 knots crash into the cockpit during Leg 4 between Sanya, China, and Auckland, New Zealand.
Sailor Dave Swete checks for debris on the keel, after sailing through a current line full of trash and rope, 100 miles south of the Vietnam coast.
It might look like he's taking time out. But sailor Daryl Wislang is diving into the water to clear debris from the keel fin in the hope of increasing speed as the team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing heads towards the finish line in Sanya, China.
Team Vestas work their magic on deck, during Leg 4 between New Zealand and China.
Peering inside the lower deck of Team SCA's boat, is a bit like gazing upon a space shuttle -- objects need to be secured at all times.
Sailor Gerd-Jan Poortman shows off his acrobatic skills as he makes adjustments to the clew during Leg 3 between the United Arab Emirates and China.
READ: "Helpless in the water" -- 1,000 miles from land
Starting on October 22 from Alicante, Spain, entrants will visit 12 host cities on six continents, covering more than 46,000 nautical miles (85,000km.)
Should Tuke and his crew members reach the Hague on the western coast of the Netherlands in the quickest time, he will become the first person in history to win the VOR, America's Cup and an Olympic title.
"It's a real endurance battle and to have the opportunity to do it is really cool," says Tuke.
"It would have been nice to have had a little bit more time off after the last 12 months, but I couldn't let this opportunity go.
"To be here with a team such as MAPFRE, with the skill and experience that they have on board, I just want to ensure I contribute to that.
"From my point of view, I just want to learn quickly so I can help us get around the world faster than the rest of these guys."
Sailing at the 2016 Olympic Games
The sun was beginning to set over the Marina da Glória and award-winning sports photographer Clive Mason was finishing up for the day. All he needed was that one perfect shot and, "as if by magic," Cypriot windsurfer Andreas Cariolou glided directly past the press boat as he made his way to shore.
Sailors are not averse to "playing up" for the cameras, jokes Mason, telling CNN the more brazen showboaters will deliberately seek to sail past the working press.
But the photographer's craft is also about intensely "personal" moments. Mason says he was "lucky" to get the opportunity to shoot Australian sailor Nathan Outteridge washing down his boat in this pragmatic, four or five days before the hustle and bustle of Olympic competition. "I love this picture," Mason says, telling CNN Sport he and his fellow professionals sometimes find themselves forming bonds with the athletes they cover over the years, quietly sharing their moments of victory.
As the events started and windsurfers, dinghies and skiffs flew by in the shadow of Sugarloaf Mountain, Mason freely admits Rio 2016 became as much about the topography as the sailing talent.
At times, the photographers had to remind themselves what they were actually there to shoot, he tells CNN. After all, "not every picture could look like a chocolate box."
This image, taken "late in the afternoon" on the Copacabana, depicts the "abstract" sails of the Finn fleet positioned directly below Christ the Redeemer. It's a photo that could adorn the wall of any home; indeed, Mason confirms he's had numerous requests for prints.
But there was a whole lot more to Rio 2016 than triumphant topography. In this image, Mason captures the exact moment Giles Scott realizes he has sealed the gold medal for Great Britain. It's the final product of careful planning on the part of the photographer -- Scott's lead was already unassailable the day before the medal race.
Mason describes the image of Scott's elation as "one the nicest, cleanest" he's ever taken -- telling CNN Sport the ultimate aim is always "a picture that tells a story with a key moment, key athlete and beautiful light." But sometimes it's about pure action. Here, a member of the Nacra 17 Olympic fleet fights with testing winds on the Rio waters.
The photographer was "in the lap of the Gods" for this shot as he hung from side of a boat and utilized an underwater housing. Finely framed, "the crest of the water leads into the shape of the sail."
READ: Behind the lens of an award-winning photographer
From crew mates to rivals
Through the good times and the bad, Tuke has almost always had close friend and compatriot Peter Burling at his side.
Together they carried the New Zealand flag at the Rio 2016 Olympic opening ceremony, going on to win gold with two races to spare.
Together they were named New Zealand's Team of the Year, ahead of the All Blacks, at the 54th Halberg Awards.
And together they clinched the 35th Americas Cup in June -- Tuke acting as a cyclist and foil trimmer, with Burling becoming the youngest ever helmsman to win the prestigious race.
Now, though, they go head to head.
Burling has joined Team Brunel for this year's VOR and will vie with his former crew member for the title.
"Round-the-world ocean racing has always excited me and I'm stoked to be part of Team Brunel on this epic edition," said Burling.
"I can't wait to be thrown into the challenge of extreme offshore racing and broaden my skills and sailing experience."
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Both men must sleep in four-hour shifts, subsisting on little more than freeze dried food and chocolate bars if they hope to win the event.
Both Team Brunel and MAPFRE are among the favorites.
"There's no hotel room to go home to each night," says Tuke. "It'll be challenging, but I'm ready for it."