Tom Saunders had planned to be back in New Zealand right now but he's glad he delayed his return because this morning he was crowned Laser world champion.
No racing was possible on the final day in Barcelona due to strong winds and big swells, meaning the 29-year-old took out the championships from Ireland's Finn Lynch and Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic. Fellow Kiwi George Gautrey was 18th overall.
"It's pretty surreal, to be honest, quite unbelievable," Saunders said. "I'm obviously very happy with the week and my progression over the last month. It couldn't have gone any better."
It might not have happened at all had Saunders followed through with his original plan to return to New Zealand in October. He had secured an MIQ slot and didn't know when he might be able to get back home if he stayed in Europe, where he had been since early July.
"I was pretty serious on going home because I didn't really want to risk not getting home but halfway through the European championships I made the decision to stay because I was happy with the way I was sailing," said Saunders, who finished sixth at the European championships.