However, Mark Agnew's CX class victory was also bittersweet as Glenorchy's Duayne Insley, himself a former world champion, died on the second day of racing.
Competing in the same class, Insley was navigating when he was struck by a log on Canterbury's braided Waimakariri River.
His death ``was in the back of my mind all the time'', Agnew said, as the marathon wended its way down the South Island, finishing last Saturday on Glenorchy's Dart River.
The 39-year-old had competed in the past three New Zealand-hosted worlds, finishing second in FX class in the last one, in 2013.
He thought he had blown his chance last week when he and his navigator, Canterbury jet-boat company owner Paul Vernel, had to push their boat after it got stuck on the Waimakariri.
``In the last two days, I never made a mistake.''
He also finished sixth overall and won the ``sportsman of the race'' title for helping another driver who was drifting towards willows, also on the Waimakariri.
``We had to stop for six minutes and help him, but we got a time credit.''
Agnew intends to travel to Monaco next year to collect his world title.
Meanwhile, Queenstowner Regan Williamson, competing in the unlimited class, finished second overall to Blenheim's John Derry.
