Sailing: Burling 'stoked' with world win

Peter Burling won nine of 12 races at the 2015 Moth world championships at Sorrento, Victoria, at the weekend. Photo / Thierry Martinez

Tauranga's NZL sailing team member Peter Burling is the 2015 Moth world champion after an outstanding performance at Sorrento, Victoria, in a fleet containing some of the world's most accomplished sailors.

The regatta attracted 145 boats and an impressive entry list.

As well as Burling's Emirates Team New Zealand teammates Dean Barker, Glenn Ashby, Ray Davies and Blair Tuke, a number of other America's Cup sailors such as Chris Draper (Great Britain), Tom Slingsby (Australia) and Kyle Langford (Australia) were racing. The 2006 and 2007 Moth world champion and pioneer of the foiling Moth, Rohan Veal, of Australia was in the fleet, as were other regular top performers in the class over recent years, including Scott Babbage (Australia), Josh McKnight (Australia) and Chris Rashley (Great Britain).

Burling's form was impeccable, winning nine of the 12 races and recording a seventh as his worst race in the regatta, sailing a boat widely acknowledged as challenging to master.

"All the time I have put into this campaign paid off," Burling said. "There are some great guys in this record fleet, I am absolutely stoked to win."

Burling, 24, from Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, attributed his nine race wins to getting on a winning roll and keeping going.

"We spent a lot of time working on our boats and nothing broke. The boat's been going really well this week, no problems."

Burling's victory toppled defending Moth world champion and rival in the 49er class Nathan Outteridge of Australia from his perch but he still managed to take the silver medal.

Outteridge's 49er partner Ian Jensen finished 10th.

Burling's world champion 49er sailing partner Blair Tuke finished the regatta in sixth overall, topping off a great regatta for the pair who are finalists for Halberg Team of the Year after their unprecedented year in the Olympic 49er class in 2014.

Tuke's result of finishing sixth in such a talented fleet is also impressive given his relative inexperience in the Moth.

The Kerikeri Cruising Club sailor is deservedly delighted.

"Stoked," he said. "First sailed the Moth three months ago, the learning curve has been steep, it's been fun and I'm super happy with the result."