The 32-year-old from Norwich, who won a silver medal at London 2012, went into the final race with a nine-point lead over reigning Olympic champion Dorian Van Rijsselberge of the Netherlands.

Van Rijsselberge came out fast as he looked to repeat his London 2012 win over Dempsey but following a slow start in the 10-board finale, the Brit sailed a superb second upwind leg to move back through the fleet and maintain his hold on the gold medal.

Van Rijsselberge was forced to settle for silver while Byron Kokkalanis of Greece took the bronze.

The win gives Dempsey his second RS:X Windsurfing World Championship crown after he first won the title on home waters in Weymouth and Portland in 2009 and he admitted he was delighted to make history with the victory in Búzios.

"After the Olympics, I didn't know if I wanted to carry on," Dempsey said.

"I didn't know if I still had it in me but windsurfing is what I love.

"I didn't really have any idea of how I was going to perform after so long off the board after the Olympics.

"With just a seven-week build up you can't really expect too much, but I have trained really hard in that time and it's been a long time away from home.

"I've kept it steady this week and did everything I could and have ended up having one of the best regattas of my life.

"My strengths have always been that I can perform across the range of conditions and we've had that this week.

"Maybe going into the event without any real expectations helped me relax a bit, but I'm always pretty relaxed I think.

Dempsey's long-serving coach Barrie Edgington also expressed his delight at the stunning performance.

"It's been a challenging week but Nick held it together and has been really impressive," said Edgington.

"Considering the build-up we have had, he's had one of the best week's sailing in the 17 years that I have been working with him and it bodes really well.

"It just goes to show that age and experience still count for so much in sailing.

"That experience has definitely helped Nick make the right decisions this week."

There were double celebrations for Britain in Búzios as Bryony Shaw claimed silver in the women's fleet to secure her first ever podium finish at an RS:X World Championship.

With the gold medal already assured for Israel's Lee Korsitz ahead of the final race, Shaw went into the final day in the bronze medal position, behind another Israeli Maayan Davidovich.


But a determined display saw the British sailor saw her overhaul her rival to take silver behind Korsitz, with Davidovich force to settle for bronze.

"I'm really happy to come away with silver," said Shaw, who won bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympics but finished seventh at London 2012.

"I feel I've been sailing really well, especially for the first two-thirds of the week."

Both Dempsey and Shaw will now be targeting further success at the Rio 2016 Olympics, despite previous fears that the discipline would be dropped from the Games after London 2012.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) made a controversial decision to replace the discipline for kite boarding following London 2012.

The decision came at the Mid Year Meeting of the ISAF Council in Stresa, Italy last year.

But it was reversed at the governing body's annual meeting in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland in November last year.

"Since windsurfing had its Olympic reprieve I've just been super-excited to get back on the board again," added Shaw.

"This week has been really important for me confidence-wise and I've showed a few things this week.

"I am developing some real strengths."

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November: Windsurfing to stay in Rio 2016 Olympics after kiteboarding decision overturned
August 2012: Van Rijsselberge and Dempsey claim last ever Olympic RS:X windsurfing medals at London 2012