Olympic gold medallist Tom Burton has set sail for Paris 2024, but in a different boat after missing a chance to defend his laser title at the Tokyo Games.
World champion Burton stormed to victory at Rio's 2016 Olympics in the single-handed dinghy.
But he was a victim of Australia's incredible depth in the class when Matt Wearn pipped him for the only spot in Tokyo and went on to win gold of his own.
Always of the belief his slight frame was better suited to the two-handed 49er class, Burton has committed to the rare move and will begin a new chapter as skipper alongside Simon Hoffman at the French Olympic Week in Hyeres.
This week's event will be the first time they've competed against more than a handful of boats, let alone against international-standard competition.
And it's not a simple switch, the high-performance skiff design of the 49er requiring both crew to sail while cantilevered over the water, rather than sitting inside the laser.
While Hoffman will control the sail, 32-year-old Burton hopes his experience and tactical nous will transfer from the laser class to achieve something rarely seen in the sport.
"It'll be a steep learning curve to be honest," Burton told AAP from France ahead of this week's regatta.
"But one of the biggest things was to have that learning environment back; after many years in the laser it gets stale, you're looking for half a per cent here or there.
"It's easier mentally now because you're improving every day, leaps and bounds."
Burton said he had entertained the switch after winning the world title and Olympic double in 2016, but logistical challenges meant he ran out of time and reverted to the laser.
Narrowly missing selection to Wearn, who is intent on shooting for back-to-back laser gold in Paris 2024, still hurt a sailor with plenty of fire in the belly.
"Either way, someone was going to be disappointed," Burton said of the cut-throat nature of Olympic selection.
"And it was nice he went and won, because there were no ifs or buts."
The 49er class is relatively wide open in Australia with brothers Sam and Will Phillips unlikely to back up from Tokyo.
But does Burton really believe he and Hoffman can be at the pointy end in Paris two years from now?
"You've got to be in it to win it," he said.
"I've seen people drop out without giving it their all.
"Time will tell, but you can't give up on yourself until you've given it a full-on crack.
"At the moment we're nowhere near close enough, but there's plenty ahead of us, you just back yourself you can learn quickly and adapt."
Wearn will also sail in France, fresh off second in Spain's Hempel World Cup Series earlier this month as he looks ahead to Mexico's World Championships in May.
