Peter Burling (NZL), who turned 24 on January 1, leaves Sorrento tonight with the McDougall + McConaghy 2015 International Moth World Championship title, hosted by the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club (SSCBC) in Victoria.

“I‘m stoked,” was all Burling could get out, as he sprayed and was sprayed with champagne after stepping ashore at Sorrento just after 3.15pm local time today.

“Holy, that last race, I won it,” Burling said, with a grin from ear to ear. “The boat’s been going really well this week, no problems,” he said.

Burling attributed his nine race wins to, “You get on a winning roll and just keep going. Nathan (Outteridge) and I spent a lot of time working on our boats and nothing broke.

“All the time I have put in to this campaign paid off,” he said amid cheers and pats on the back from fellow Emirates Team New Zealand team mates, including his 49er crew Blair Tuke, who finished sixth overall.

“There are some great guys in this record fleet, I am absolutely stoked to win,” ended Burling who will have little time to celebrate. It is pack up time and then off to the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami for an Olympic class 49er event with Tuke. Then it’s back to America’s Cup duties.

On the final day, Burling finished sixth in Race 13, the first of the day on the windy and bumpy course on Port Phillip. Initially delayed, racing did get underway on time at 1100am in 15-18 knots on a choppy sea. But competitors were brought ashore after it, while race officials reassessed conditions.

Chris Rashley (GBR) won the race, his second bullet of the Championship, followed by three Aussies: Josh McKnight, Rob Gough and Nathan Outteridge. Chris Rast (SUI) finished fifth.

Around half the Gold fleet headed out for Race 14 shortly after 1.45pm. In gusty 22-

25 knot winds, Burling finished the Worlds in the style he started, with a bullet. Outteridge was second and Rashley third. Josh McKnight was sitting nicely in third until he crashed.

Defending world champion, Outteridge, who finished second in 2013, started his campaign with two bullets, came up with two more and finished second overall. McKnight, Moth world champion in 2012 and third last year, finished third again this year. But the Championship belonged to Burling and Burling alone.

Nine wins from a possible 14 was extraordinary, especially considering the fragile nature of these boats in the big conditions which proved to be the undoing of Tom Slingsby (AUS), Scott Babbage (AUS) and Paul Goodison (GBR).

Outteridge is disappointed the full series was not completed and that conditions have been extreme. It’s happened at the last three Worlds. “In Hawaii and Hayling Island there was no wind, and here it’s been extreme at both ends,” said the 2012 49er Olympic gold medallist and Artemis Racing America’s Cup skipper who turns 29 at the end of the month.

“It’s also disappointing I didn’t have a chance to catch up to Pete. A bit of a shame we’ve been compromised by having such a big Gold fleet. If it was just the top 25 in Gold, it would have been easy to keep sailing today, as the calibre is so high, we would have handled it.

“It’s something for organisers to think about in future, because Moth events are getting bigger as the boat gets more popular. It’s hard to manage a fleet of 80 boats on one course. Even from a safety aspect.

“I am very happy with how I sailed. My worst result, discounting my timeout in that extra light fluky qualifying race, was fifth. To be able to post top five results throughout – you can’t knock that,” he said. “Pete (Burling) was impressive. Nine wins, he deserves the title. All the top guys have sailed well.”

Josh McKnight had enough in the bank to finish third overall, despite breaking his boom. “I had hoped to challenge Nathan for second place, but there’s nothing wrong with third. Look at it this way, I finished with guys who have America’s Cup contracts either side of me, and I’m a uni student who loves sailing a Moth,” he said.

Two British sailors, Chris Rashley and Chris Draper finished fourth and fifth. Draper was taken to hospital this afternoon after being stung in the leg by a stingray. We are awaiting an update.

Annalise Murphy (IRE), fourth placegetter in the Laser Radial at the 2012 Olympics, scored the best of the Women’s results with a 14th place in Race 13. But it was not enough to overcome 2011 Women’s Moth world champion and local sailor, Samantha England, who claimed her second Women’s Moth world title.

The Silver fleet did not race, so results stand as per yesterday.

“Andrew and I congratulate Peter Burling on his outstanding win,” co-sponsor Jono Morris said on behalf of McDougall and McConaghy, adding that Burling used all Mach 2 gear – boat, boom, foils, sails.

“It’s great to be part of something where we are the major supplier of the boats. It’s cutting edge technology and a platform for the top sailors. It’s where they want to be at the moment,” Morris, joint-managing director of McConaghy, which builds the Mach 2.

“It’s interesting to think that before the last America’s Cup, the sailors were getting into cat sailing. Now it’s foiling and the Moths. And it’s not just because they have to, they want to because they love it.

“Trying to settle on foil size has been interesting, they are still in development. That’s what Andrew McDougal (the Mach 2 designer) is good at and has spent a lot of time on,” Morris says.

A major attribute of the Mach 2 is the support that comes with the boats.

“So wherever there’s a big fleet of Mach 2’s, Andrew (or AMac as he is known) will be organising a ‘hospital’ for repairs on an as needs be basis.

“It’s been a good thing to do, for sure,” says Morris who added staff member Matt Heynes to McDougall’s Simon Owen-Smith for this event, aware the high numbers and high calibre fleet would mean more casualties.

“We’ve got such a good partnership with Andrew, so I’m here to see and get to know the guys sailing the boats. It’s been a very positive and beneficial experience from seeing the boats in action through to the quality of the guys sailing and their camaraderie,” Morris says.

So concludes the McDougall + McConaghy 2015 International Moth World Championship.

Full results, news, photos and video at: www.mothworlds.org/sorrento/

By Di Pearson, McDougall + McConaghy Moth Worlds Media

New Zealander Peter Burling continued his near-flawless run on Day 5 of the McDougall + McConaghy 2015 International Moth World Championship being hosted by the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club (SSCBC) in Victoria.

With one day remaining to finish the World’s off, Burling showed nerves of steel and control to score a second in Race 9 and then won the remaining three races sailed in shifty south-westerly winds on Port Philip. Winds ranged from 15-20 knots with puffs over 25 in the last of the day.

Nathan Outteridge (AUS) won Race 9, then finished second, fifth and third for second place overall.

“I had a great first two races, I was neck-and-neck with Peter (Burling). In the third I had two swims upwind. One was because I had to duck a boat and finished fifth. You go from attacking to a defensive position just like that. Today was awesome though. Perfect conditions really,” Outteridge said.

Staying composed in Race 12, when the wind had freshened and gone further right, Outteridge moved back up for third. For those who did not punch into the right hander all was lost. Everyone quickly learns to keep their heads up all the time.

“There’s a heap of guys sailing well. I’ll be happy if I can just hold my boat together. A few big names fell down the rankings because of breakages today,” he said referring to the likes of Scott Babbage (AUS) and Paul Goodison (GBR).

Outteridge was contemplating what tomorrow would bring. “Looks like it’ll be 10-20 from the north-west. That means big waves. Anything could happen,” he said, keeping Burling at the forefront of his mind, as is everyone else at the top end of the Championship.

“I’m leaving now, going for an early dinner and a long sleep ready for tomorrow,” he ended.

The 2012 world champion, Josh McKnight (AUS) maintained the status quo with another good day. He scored 3-3-2-4 results for third place overall.

“I always want to do better, to win a race. I nearly had the third race, but Peter Burling just slipped inside me. I guess I had a pretty solid day,” McKnight said.

Of tomorrow and whether Burling could be beaten, “McKnight said: “Any of us could bust stuff. Peter Burling can still be beaten. As long as I finish around him and Nathan I’ll be happy,” he said.

Just below the top three, Chris Rashley and fellow Brit, Chris Draper have been thrashing it out. The pair has stayed inside the top five consistently and with just two points separating them, they are in fourth and fifth overall respectively.

Tom Slingsby (AUS) was looking in top form, with unbelievable upwind speed, but did not finish Race 9 and was scored UFD in Race 10, for being inside the start area with a minute to go prior to the start

Babbage was third overall coming into the day. Sailing fast downwind out towards the start area, the Australian said: “A puff hit me and I ran into a moored Couta boat and did some major damage. If I make it out to the course at all, it probably will only be for the last race.”

However, he was able to make the third and four races, but had dropped out of contention down to 17th place after finishing 15th and 10th in Races 11 and 12, unable to recover properly.

Paul Goodison (GBR) the 2008 Laser Olympic gold medallist also broke gear which meant he did not finish Race 9 and was unable to start Race 10, dropping well down to 30th.

In the Silver fleet, with 11 races put to bed, three Swiss men are at the top of the board. Adriano Petrino (170 points), Philippe Schiller (198) and Fabio Mueller (203).

PRO Garry Hosie plans to end the McDougall + McConaghy 2015 International Moth World Championship with four races starting from 1100 hours tomorrow, which will decide the new world champion.

Full results, news, photos and video at: www.mothworlds.org/sorrento/

By Di Pearson, McDougall + McConaghy Moth Worlds Media

2015 Moth Worlds Day 2. 023,Peter BURLING,NZL 4219, 132,Tom SLINGSBY,AUS 4133

New Zealand’s Peter Burling reeled off four straight wins to take the lead on Day 2 of the McDougall + McConaghy 2015 International Moth World Championship on Port Phillip in Sorrento, Victoria, sounding the warning bell for the other 159 competitors.

With the fleet split into Blue and Yellow, Burling was in the Blue group on a course closer to shore. Defending world champion Nathan Outteridge (AUS) was in the Yellow on a course further out and on the receiving end of bumpier conditions and scored 3-2-2-1 results.

Two drops are in place following the seven qualifying races. Burling is on 5 points and Outteridge on 7. Tomorrow the fleet will be divided into Gold and Silver, with the top half of leaderboard going through to the Gold fleet.

Ashore Burling said: “I won all four races – the last one by over a lap, which is pretty pleasing in this fleet. it’s all come together here,” he said referring to his disappointing results at the Worlds in 2011 and 2013.

“I did well in the light and shifty weather yesterday and today was as good. I put a lot of work into improving my game for this event.”

“We were in flatter more manageable water than the Yellow fleet, but even so, I dropped off the foil at one www and fell back to 11th, but I still got back and won. Everyone had a swim, or crashed or overtook,” the 2012 Olympic 49er silver medallist said of the course which was closer to the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, host for the event.

On Nathan Outteridge, Burling said: “Both of us have different commitments now – me with Emirates Team NZ and him with Artemis Racing (AC syndicates). We’re still good mates, but things are slightly different now. He is my biggest challenge for this title, of course.”

The Kiwi sailor named Chris Rashley and Chris Draper from Great Britain and Australians Tom Slingsby, Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen, Josh McKnight and Scott Babbage as other threats.

For his part, Outteridge said of Burling: “I’ll face him tomorrow, because qualifying is over and we’ll be in the Gold fleet. I beat him on the first day in light air – that’s what I’m best at, but tomorrow’s meant to be even windier than today… I’ll be OK, but I prefer the light.

“I was OK for the first race today, but then the current changed – the last race especially was full-on and I was just trying to keep up with the leaders. It was bumpy and hard going and we all swam at some www; everyone’s feeling it.”

On his Yellow fleet opponents: “Five of us shared it around, me; Chris Rashley (GBR), Josh McKnight (AUS), Scott Babbage (AUS) the top four from the last Worlds in the Yellow fleet, so it was never going to be easy. Dave Lister got (AUS) amongst it too.”

Babbage is tucked into third place overall, a win in Race 6 giving him the jump on Outteridge’s 49er crew and fellow Artemis Racing team member, Iain Jensen, who sailed in the Blue fleet and is fourth overall after, “three good races, but I broke a bunch of stuff in the fourth… It was bumpy, crazy and full-on in the last two races,” he said.

Not so lucky was 2008 Olympic Tornado silver medallist and multiple multihull world champion Glenn Ashby (AUS). The Emirates Team NZ wing trimmer suffered extensive damage after a crash with one of the American boats in Race 6, dropping him down the board and cutting him out of Race 7, for which he will ask for redress.

“Lucky I’m a Sailmaker, so I can fix that, but I’ve got a broken foil and bow damage that will take a bit of fixing. Apart from that, it was a tough and bumpy old day, but awesome sailing.”

Racing will get underway from 1300 hours tomorrow.

Sixteen countries are represented in the record fleet of 160: Australia (97), Austria (2), Denmark (1), France (5), Great Britain (7), Hong Kong (1), Ireland (3), Italy (5), Japan (5), New Zealand (1), Norway (8), South Africa (1), Sweden (2), Switzerland (7), the US Virgin Islands (1) and USA (13).

Full results, news, photos and video at: www.mothworlds.org/sorrento/