Family's life on sea pays off for keen yachtsman

After sailing around the world since he was a toddler, Sam Meech found it hard to get used to living on land.

But the experience has moulded the Mt Maunganui 18-year-old into a world-class sailor.

Meech this week returned to New Zealand from Buzios in Brazil after winning gold in the boys Laser Radial class at the Volvo youth sailing ISAF world championship.

Last year, he won bronze.

The event is the pinnacle of the youth sailing calendar, and past winners include America's Cup skippers and Olympic gold medallists.

Meech is the seventh New Zealand sailor to win the St Lawrence Trophy in its 39-year-history, following sailing greats such as Russell Coutts in 1981 and Dean Barker in 1990.

Meech spent nine years in a 14m Herreshoff yacht with his father, a doctor, mother, a nurse, and 16-year-old sister Molly - also a keen sailor - before returning to start his NCEA studies at Tauranga Boys College.

He had studied via correspondence on his family's yacht. "We travelled around the world, left New Zealand, went to England and back again.

"It was a big boat, but not big when you're living on it. It got quite small towards the end.

"But it was pretty hard - getting used to going to a school was pretty tricky."

Meech was never too far from the water when the family returned. His dinghy-racing career started in P class, where he represented Waikato in the Tanner Cup, and after a spell in Starlings he moved to Lasers in 2007.

Now studying business at Massey University's Auckland campus, Meech represents the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club as well as the Murrays Bay Sailing Club.

Next month, he is off to the Nautel Laser world championships in Halifax, Canada, and next year he hopes to travel around Europe participating in regattas. But he knows he will have to fit in a part-time job to pay for that.

He also hopes to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.