Saunders has been among the world’s leading Laser sailors since winning the 2021 ILCA 7 world championships - only the second Kiwi to do so in the history of the class after Nik Burfoot in 1994.
He followed it up with a fourth place at the 2022 world champs in Mexico, wedged between a string of other strong domestic and international results and in November last year, Saunders was named Orbit World Travel Sailor of the Year at the annual Aon Yachting Excellence Awards.
A regular on the world Laser circuit since 2012, the 30-year-old from Tauranga has his sights firmly set on a first Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
He started 2023 by comfortably defending his Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta title at Torbay in February before finishing fifth overall at the European season-opening Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Career highlights
- 2023 World Cup Palma (ILCA 7): 5th
- 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta (ILCA 7): 1st
- 2023 Sail Melbourne (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2022 World Cup Palma (ILCA 7): 5th
- 2022 World championships (ILCA 7): 4th
- 2022 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta (ILCA 7): 1st
- 2022 NZ ILCA 7 national championships: 1st
- 2021 World championships (ILCA 7): 1st
- 2021 European championships (ILCA 7): 6th
- 2020 World Cup Enoshima (ILCA 7): 7th
- 2020 Australian Championship (ILCA 7): 4th
- 2020 Sail Melbourne (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2019 World championships (ILCA 7): 10th
- 2019 French Olympic week (ILCA 7) 7th
- 2019 World Cup Enoshima (ILCA 7): 6th
- 2018 Sailing world championships (ILCA 7): 14th
- 2018 World championship test event (ILCA 7): 4th
- 2018 World Cup Palma (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2018 World Cup Gamagori (ILCA7): 8th
- 2018 World Cup Miami (ILCA 7): 7th
- 2018 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta (ILCA 7): 1st
- 2018 Sail Sydney (ILCA 7): 6th
- 2018 Sail Melbourne (ILCA 7): 2nd
- 2017 World championships (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2017 Enoshima Olympic Week (ILCA 7): 1st
- 2017 Sail Sydney (ILCA 7): 2nd
- 2016 World Cup Miami (ILCA 7): 7th
- 2016 World Cup Melbourne (ILCA 7): 2nd
- 2015 NZ ILCA 7 national championships: 2nd
- 2015 Sail Auckland (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2015 NZ match racing championships (Open): 5th
- 2014 World Cup Qingdao (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2014 World Cup Melbourne (ILCA 7): 2nd
- 2014 Delta Lloyd Regatta (ILCA 7): 5th
- 2013 World Cup Melbourne (ILCA 7): 6th
- 2012 Sail Auckland (ILCA 7): 10th
- 2012 Sail Sydney (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2011 NZ national championship (ILCA 7): 8th
- 2006 World championships (Etchells): 1st