It was their first world title in the 49er and it comes against a full-strength fleet including reigning world and Olympic champions and multiple world title winners Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen of Australia, who finished fifth.
"We've worked hard for this, not just over the past year, but since we started sailing the 49er together. To do it today and have the other boys in second place and the girls win their world title makes it extra special," Tuke said.
After light and tricky conditions over the opening half of the regatta Burling and Tuke, as well as Hansen and Porebski came to the fore on the penultimate day and hit the water for the three theatre style medal races in first and second place. With double points on offer anything could have happened.
Tuke said taking a lead into the final day of sailing meant plenty of pressure but the day panned out well.
"We went out and won that first race which was pretty cool and then we just made one small mistake which put us back in ninth (in the second race) which closed that buffer up to about ten points and put the pressure back on us for the last race, but we came back well to get second and claim the world title, which was really awesome."
Three titlesThis year has been a stellar one for Burling and Tuke who have won the 49er European title, the Red Bull Youth America's Cup title and now the 49er World title.
"I think probably for Pete and I this one is the most special. The 49er is our priority and we've won this world champs. The Red Bull Youth America's Cup was also really special ... working alongside, not just Pete , but also a lot of other guys made that pretty special, but to do all three of them with the European Champs as well, it's really cool."
The 49erFX women's skiff is new to the Olympic programme and will feature for the first time in 2016. It has attracted a number of accomplished international sailors and for former Kerikeri High School student Maloney, now sailing out of Murray's Bay in Auckland, and Tauranga's Meech to secure the 2013 world title is a massive achievement.
For 21-year-old Maloney, to be crowned 49erFX champions, was a major thrill which now cements them as the number-one crew in the event.
"We're definitely really happy with how it went this week, it was really close right until the end so it was exciting."
The young pair holds the ISAF World number one ranking after top three placings at all the major international regattas they've contested in 2013 including gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres and a bronze at the 49erFX European Championships in Denmark in June. The world title puts the icing on the cake for Maloney and Meech, who both only recently stepped out of the youth classes.
Like the Kiwi men, Maloney and Meech went into the medal races with the overall lead. Competing in a fleet of 10 boats with double points on offer they finished fifth, then notched up two fourths to secure the world title by a huge 20 point margin from silver medallists Martine Soffiati Grael and Kahena Kunze of Brazil.
Meanwhile world championship silver is also a career topping result for 20-year-old Hansen and 21-year-old Porebski. The pair has had a strong season with top ten results at the major internationals but this is far and away their best performance to date.
The men's team were supported in France by Hamish Willcox, while the women's coach was Nathan Handley.
Olympic Programme Manager Jez Fanstone said he was really proud of all the team and said the results are testament to the hard work they have put in. "We wanted to hit the ground running after the London 2012 results to carry that momentum forward. With three Olympic class world titles in 2013 for the NZL Sailing Team it's a great start to the four year cycle," he said.
Final results for New Zealand sailors: Men's 49er (95 boats) 1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, 2nd Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski, 66th Ben Goodwin and Sam Bullock. Women's 49erFX (53 boats) 1st Alex Maloney and Molly Meech, 24th Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland.
