Big-name sailors Dean Barker, Rod Davis, Chris Dickson and Laurie Jury are through to the semifinals of the national match racing championships off Auckland after relatively straightforward wins yesterday.
Three of the four quarter-finals were decided in two races, with only Dickson being pushed to three races beforehe accounted for Michael Thorpe 2-1.
Thorpe and his Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron youth crew won the first race by 29sec but Dickson showed his experience to bounce back and dominate the next two duels.
Barker, chasing a record fifth national title, was too good for eighth-ranked David Wood while Davis also accounted for Jonathan Rankine 2-0 and Jury swept Adam Minoprio.
Barker finished top of the standings after downing the previously unbeaten Davis.
