17 Jan 2015

Burling wins MOTH World Champs

9:34 am on 17 January 2015

The Team New Zealand sailor Peter Burling has won the 2015 Moth World Championships in Victoria, Australia, only months after sailing the boat for the first time.

The New Zealand sailor Peter Burling.

The New Zealand sailor Peter Burling. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Burling won an impressive nine of the twelve races in total to claim the title.

The London Olympic silver medallist's 49er sailing partner, Blair Tuke, finished in 6th, completing a successful regatta for the 49er World Champions.

The pair are finalists for Halberg Team of the Year after their unprecedented year in the Olympic 49er class in 2014.

"All the time I have put in to this campaign paid off," Burling said.

"There are some great guys in this record fleet, I am absolutely stoked to win."

Burling, who is from the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, attributed his nine race wins to, "You get on a winning roll and just keep going."

"The boat's been going really well this week, no problems," he said.

Taking the victory Burling toppled defending Moth World Champion, and rival in the 49er class, Nathan Outteridge of Australia who claimed the silver medal.

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

Tuke's result, is also impressive given his relative inexperience in the Moth, and the Kerikeri Cruisng Club sailor is deservedly delighted.

"Stoked!" he says.

"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."

The regatta attracted a long (145 boats) and impressive entry list. As well as Burling and Tuke's Team New Zealand team-mates Dean Barker, Glenn Ashby and Ray Davies a number of other America's Cup sailors such as Chris Draper (GBR), Tom Slingsby (AUS) and Kyle Langford (AUS) were all racing.

2006 and 2007 Moth World Champion and pioneer of the foiling Moth Rohan Veal of Australia was in the fleet and other regular top performers in the class over recent years like Scott Babbage (AUS), Josh McKnight (AUS) and Chris Rashley (GBR).

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