World titles head North

Whangarei's Marcus Hansen and crewmate Josh Porebski finished second at the 49er world champs, behind fellow Northlander Blair Tuke. Photo / Pierick Jeannoutot.

Three Northland sailors have helped banish recent America's Cup disappointment by putting Kiwi sailing back on top of the world, with two world titles and a silver medal at the 49er and 49erFX world championships in France.

In an unprecedented show of strength, Kerikeri's Blair Tuke and Peter Burling secured their first 49er world title while another former Kerikeri sailor, Alexandra Maloney, and Molly Meech have won the inaugural 49erFX world title.

To cap off a great day for Northland sailing, Tuke and Burling's understudies, Marcus Hansen from Whangarei and crewmate Josh Porebski, won silver in the 49er. "It's amazing, Pete [Burling] and I are really, really happy," Tuke said after Sunday night's [NZT] results.

After winning the silver medal at last year's world championships and at the London Olympics, to take the top spot was a big move for 24-year-old Tuke.

It is their first world title in the 49er and it comes against a full-strength fleet including reigning world and Olympic champions.

"We've worked hard for this not just over the past year but since we started sailing the 49er together. To do it today and have the other boys in second place and the girls win their world title makes it extra special," Tuke said.

After light and tricky conditions over the opening half of the regatta Burling and Tuke, as well as Hansen and Porebski came to the fore on the penultimate day and hit the water for the final three theatre-style medal races in first and second place. But, with double points on offer for each race, anything could happen. Tuke said taking a lead into the final day of sailing meant plenty of pressure but the day panned out well.

"We went out and won that first race, which was pretty cool, and then we just made one small mistake which put us back in ninth [in the second race] which closed that buffer up to about 10 points and put the pressure back on us for the last race. But we came back well to get second and claim the world title, which was really awesome."

This has been a stellar year for Burling and Tuke, who have won the 49er European title, the Red Bull Youth America's Cup title and now the 49er world title.

"I think probably for Pete and I this one is the most special. The 49er is our priority and we've won this world champs."

The 49erFX women's skiff is new to the Olympic programme and will feature for the first time in 2016.

For 21-year-old Maloney, a former Kerikeri High School student, to be crowned 49erFX champions was a major thrill which now cements them as the No1 crew in the event.

"We're definitely really happy with how it went this week, it was really close right until the end so it was exciting."

The young pair hold the ISAF world number-one ranking after top-three placings at all the major international regattas they've contested in 2013 including gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup in Hyeres, France, and a bronze at the 49erFX European championships in Denmark in June.

World championship silver is also a career-topping result for 20-year-old Hansen and 21-year-old Porebski.