Sailing: Tauranga sailors Sam Meech and Tom Saunders in top form at key regatta

Sam Meech (left) and Tom Saunders (right), pictured with BOP Sailing Academy Trust chairman Stuart Pedersen at Tauranga Yacht Club. Photo / File

Tom Saunders and Sam Meech have been racing each other since they were at Tauranga Boys' College and the competition between them is always intense on the water.

On Monday Saunders beat Meech by one point to win the Laser title at New Zealand's premier Olympic class regatta held off Murrays Bay in Auckland.

"It was a bit of a match race between me and Sam. We have both been really consistent. There wasn't much in it in terms of the points so you were always looking over your shoulder and wondering, 'Where is he and should I be over there, too?'," Saunders, 25, said.

"In the second race [of the day] we were really close the whole way around. We got a jump on the fleet so it was a match race, which was pretty cool, but also really intense. Going down the last run we were trying to fight for buoy room and we finished right beside each other."

Rio Olympics bronze medalist Meech, 26, was not so happy with the way he sailed but says Saunders deserved his win.

"He is obviously a good sailor and has been on form for a while so unless I was sailing well I would not expect to finish in front of him," Meech said.

"My goal for this year is to perform at a world championship. I haven't been on the podium at a worlds yet so that is really what I would like to do."

Saunders was delighted to win but the reality of how dangerous it can be racing Laser boats came home to roost for all the sailors after a serious accident on the water.

"There was unfortunately an incident with the Danish crew. His trapeze hook broke and he fell in the water and hit the rudder. We wish him a speedy recovery because it's horrible to see a training partner and friend injured like that.

"It's a bit of a wake-up call for all of us. I think there are some lessons to be learned from that and hopefully we can limit any potential risk we have now. These boats do go fast and there can be some potential incidents out on the water. We are all learning that."

It was also a successful regatta for several other Tauranga Yacht Club sailors.

Trent Rippey and team mate Josh Porebski won the 49er regatta made famous by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, beating the top two Australian crews.

"There are plenty of reasons why we are stoked to win this regatta," Rippey said. "The Australians beat us in Sydney and to beat them this time is pretty cool. It's evened it out, you could say. It's a good event for us to have at home and to win we are pretty stoked."

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders won the Nacra 17 title while Alex Maloney and Molly Meech finished second in the 49erFX. Tauranga windsurfers Max Van der Zalm (first) and Veerle ten Have (third) were outstanding in the RS:X 8.5 event while Tauranga's James Barnett and Sam Street took out the boys' 420 title.
Results
Laser
1st: Tom Saunders (NZL) 1 (3) 1 2 2 2 1 2 — 11 points
2nd: Sam Meech (NZL) 2 1 2 1 1 3 2 (4) — 12 pts
49er
1st: Trent Rippey / Josh Porebski (NZL) 3 1 3 3 4 1 (9) 1 7 1 — 24 pts
49erFX
2nd: Molly Meech / Alex Maloney (NZL) 1 (UFD5) 1 4 2 3 1 3 3 2 — 20 pts
Nacra 17
1st: Jason Saunders (NZL) 1 1 (2) 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 — 12 pts
RS:X 8.5
1st: Max Van der Zalm (NZL) 1 1 1 1 (2) 1 2 — 7 pts
3rd: Veerle ten Have (NZL) (3) 3 3 3 1 3 3 — 16 pts
Boy's 420
1st: James Barnett / Sam Street (NZL) 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 (3) — 10 pts