YACHTING: Kiwi pair well placed at world champs

Tauranga's Peter Burling and crewmate Blair Tuke made a strong start to the 49er world championship, lying fifth after the opening day's racing off Zadar, Croatia.

The 74-strong fleet has been split into three groups for the qualifying stages and the New Zealand sailors, with two second-placings sandwiching a seventh, are second in the yellow fleet and fifth overall. Burling and Tuke are looking to go one better than their silver at last year's world championships off Perth in their preparations for the Olympics.

Burling said it was nice to have three keepers (good scores) from day one, which was dominated by light and shifty winds. They are expecting more wind on day two.

The other Kiwi crew in the fleet, Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski, also made a good start in the yellow fleet with two fifths and an eighth to be 12th overall.

Early regatta leaders Lukasz Przybytek and Pawel Kolodzinski (Poland) are tied with Germany's Tobias Schadewaldt and Hannes Baumann, a point ahead of Tuke and Burling, Bermuda brothers Jesse and Zander Kirkland and Germans Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme.

Bermuda is one of seven nationals in the top 30 fighting for the last five Olympic spots.

The 49er yachties will race nine qualifying races over three days before the top 25 splits into a gold fleet, with another eight races to add to their qualifying scores.

Burling and Tuke were 13th at a warmup regatta in Hyeres, France, and drove the 1300km from France to Croatia towing their boat, taking a small detour through the tight streets of Monaco before a few hours in Venice.

After Croatia they fly home for 14 days, leaving Hansen and Porebski to tow the 49er boats up to Weymouth, the Olympic venue, to prepare for the Sail for Gold regatta, their last warmup event before the London Games.

Meanwhile, at the Laser world championship in Boltenhagen, Germany, Mt Maunganui's Sam Meech is 21st after a 20th and fifth yesterday.