Mt Maunganui's Sam Meech is a double world champion after taking out the Laser junior world title at the weekend in La Rochelle, France.
"It is really cool to have won the regatta," Meech said. "I went to the event aiming to win, so I am really happy to have achieved
it.
"The conditions were great for sailing, although we could have done without the rain earlier on in the week. We ended up getting about 10-15 knots just about every day, so it was easy to get all the races completed."
More accustomed to competing alongside the world's best in the Olympic class senior Laser fleet at ISAF World Cup regattas, Meech fits the under-21 age bracket required to compete for the junior world title and made it look easy over the past week.
"The format of four qualifying days made all the results really close. It was really good for me as it kept the pressure on right until the last race."
Up against 147 junior Laser sailors from around the world, the young Kiwi took eight race wins in the 12-race series, and finished outside the top two only in one race.
While the title wasn't in the bag until the final day, Meech finished the regatta nine points clear of the silver medallist, Great Britain's Alex Mills-Barton.
Martin Evans, also from Great Britain, claimed the bronze.
Meech, who represents the Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club, is the youngest of five Laser sailors in Yachting New Zealand's sailing team. In 2009 he won gold for New Zealand at the prestigious Youth world championships in Brazil and was named joint winner of the 2009 New Zealand Young Sailor of the Year.
Meech adds this junior world title to his previous best result in 2011, an impressive fourth at the World Cup regatta in Spain.
"I am now going to sail in Weymouth for a week and then I am back in New Zealand until the world champs in Perth."
