Yachting: Sydney success for NZ sailors

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. Photo / John Borren

New Zealand sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke claimed a notable scalp when beating 49er world champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen at the Sail Sydney regatta yesterday.

The New Zealand pair relegated the highly rated Australians to also-ran status in the 14-strong fleet after four days of racing in a prelude to the World Sailing Cup series starting in Melbourne on Monday.

The Australians had previously won all but one of 11 regattas sailed since they joined forces.

"We're only the second ever to beat them (Outteridge and Jensen) so it's pretty cool," Tuke said.

Burling and Tuke won six of the 12 races contested and finished 11 points ahead of the Australian duo.

In other classes, New Zealand's Alexandra Maloney and Sam Bullock topped a small a small fleet in the 29erXX event, Paralympic sailors Tim Dempsey and Jan Apel finished second among seven boats in the SKUD18 double-handed mixed crew event and Josh Junior was third in the Laser.

- NZPA