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One of the most recognisable names in New Zealand sailing will soon be engraved on the Moth World Championships trophy, after Mattias Coutts emphatically claimed the title at Manly Sailing Club on Thursday.
The 19-year-old local dominated the 2024 PredictWind Moth World Championships, leading the six-day event from start to finish and holding off more than 70 sailors from 14 nations.
Heading into the final day with a 10-point lead, Coutts, the son of Kiwi yachting legend Sir Russell Coutts, secured victory over compatriot and training partner Jake Pye by 13 points.
He is the first New Zealand sailor to claim the world championship title in the class since Team New Zealand skipper and former Olympic 49er champion Peter Burling in 2015.
"I'm lost for words. I can't really believe it. I'm just stoked, yeah, to be honest," Coutts said.
"It's always a privilege to sail one of these boats and to compete against all these guys has been unbelievable."
Coutts hardly faltered in a star-studded lineup featuring some of the world’s best sailors from various Olympic classes and even the lightest conditions of the event, which forced a delayed start on Thursday, couldn’t slow him down.
Home advantage and strong breeze early in the regatta gave the Kiwis a head start, Coutts explained.
"We've obviously sailed quite a lot in these conditions, and that helped us. It was really windy and tricky out there, and I'm usually quite strong in those conditions.
"I just tried to stick to my processes and stay in the moment. Having that confidence [after a strong start] was also key for me."
Coutts won six of his nine qualifying races to start the finals series in pole position. However, severe damage to his boat before the first gold-fleet race threatened to derail his regatta.
"I was warming up and managed to hit something in the water, which pretty much broke the main foil, the rudder foil, and the gantry at the back," Coutts said.
"I was shocked at first and thought that was the end of my regatta, but I managed to keep my cool. With the help of my family, who all came in and got to work, I managed to get back out there."
Coutts went on to win the next two races, putting one hand on the trophy, before four top-five finishes on Thursday sealed his championship triumph.
Mattias Coutts with dad Russell after his triumph at Manly Sailing Club.
The victory is a career highlight for the teenager, who hopes to follow in the illustrious footsteps of his father — a multiple world champion, Olympic gold medallist, America’s Cup veteran, and co-founder and chief executive of SailGP.
"My dad's support has been amazing. There's so much I still learn from him. He's a legend on the water, even if he struggles with some stuff on shore - he's not exactly the keenest when it comes to boat-work merchant!"
Coutts’ focus will now shift to the 49er, where he has made significant progress over the past 12 months. He also plans to defend his Moth world crown at Lake Garda in July.
"I'm hoping to do the Moth Worlds in Garda, but I'll mostly be getting back into the 49er and really getting that going again," he said.
Pye, the national class champion, was heartbreakingly denied the title at the 2023 Moth Worlds in the UK, where a lack of wind forced the event’s abandonment while he was leading.
This time, the 19-year-old had to settle for second, followed by Australian Otto Henry, Murrays Bay sailor Seb Menzies, and Malta's Richard Schultheis.
Hattie Rogers finished as the top female competitor, placing 36th overall.
Final results and standings from the 2024 Moth world championships hosted by Manly Sailing Club:
Gold fleet (37 boats)
1. Mattias Coutts (NZ) 1 2 1 1 3 (7) 1 1 1 (38DNS) 1 (9) 1 4 2 1 5 - 25 pts
2. Jake Pye (NZ) 1 1 (10) 1 1 7 2 1 2 1 5 8 (16) 2 5 (24) 1 - 38 pts
3. Otto Henry (Aus) 7 (18) 4 3 4 2 3 8 5 12 (23) 2 (13) 6 4 5 4 - 69 pts
4. Seb Menzies (NZ) (13) 4 3 4 2 9 3 4 6 5 3 (14) 4 11 7 4 (12) - 69 pts
5. Richard Schultheis (Mlta) 12 2 7 10 3 1 5 6 7 2 (29) (29) 7 3 3 7 (16) - 75 pts
Silver fleet (37 boats)
1. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (Fra) (23) 22 16 6 17 (38DNS) (24) 20 21 4 1 5 4 2 2 2 1 - 123 pts
2. Keita Yukinori (Jpn) 20 21 (26) (24) 19 (23) 16 11 23 2 4 2 1 3 5 5 7 - 139 pts
3. Lorenzo de Felice (Ita) (27) (38DNC) 21 15 19 (24) 16 9 22 3 3 3 12 6 6 6 2 - 143 pts
4. Kevin Peponnet (Fra) (38DNS) (38DNC) 15 22 21 15 (25) 19 20 7 6 10 10 4 3 3 3 - 158 pts
5. Keagan York (Aus) (25) 24 21 21 (38DNC) 23 22 13 15 1 2 1 3 12 1 1 (38UFD) - 160 pts
