Yachting: Lester backs yachties to win seven more places for Olympics

By JULIE ASH

Yachting New Zealand's high-performance manager Peter Lester believes this country can secure Olympic spots in a further seven classes at this week's ISAF world championships in Spain.

Thirteen New Zealand crews and 18 individual sailors will compete in the 15-day regatta in Cadiz, which starts tomorrow night.

New Zealand have already qualified in the men's and women's mistral classes and the men's 470, but for competitors in the other eight classes the world champs are one of the last chances to qualify with few places available next year.

"Other than the Star we have got a good chance of qualifying in a lot of classes," Lester said. "Realistically, a further seven could make it."

Following her bronze medal-winning performance at last month's pre-Olympic regatta in Athens, Sarah Macky is almost certain to secure a spot in the Europe class.

"It would be very nice to get qualifying out of the way early and start focusing on Athens," said Macky, who finished ninth at the Sydney Olympics. "But the competition is tough. There will be 150 women, and anyone in the top 30 has the ability to win a race. The hard part is stringing a whole series together."

Ten countries have already qualified in the Europe class. A further 11 will qualify in Cadiz.

"I have heard Cadiz can be quite a breezy place, but the golden rule is to expect the unexpected," Macky said.

"At the moment we are competing in Open Week which is a five-day practice regatta, a perfect build-up for the worlds."

New Zealand are also expected to secure Olympic spots in the Finn class, 470 women, Tornado, Yngling, 49er and Laser.

Because there is more than one New Zealand crew or New Zealander competing in each class, Yachting New Zealand have introduced the provision for people to finish in the top five in Cadiz. If no other Kiwi finishes in the top 10, then a Cadiz top-five finisher will secure an Olympic spot.

If Olympic spots are not secured, trials will take place early next year.

New Zealand competed in all 11 classes at the Sydney Olympics, which then included a Soling class but not an Yngling class.

The New Zealand team:

Finn: Clifton Webb, Peter Fox.

470 men: Simon Cooke/Peter Nicholas, Andrew Brown/Jamie Hunt, Stephen Keen/Philip Keen, Derek Scott/David Healy, Geoff Woolley/Mark Overington.

470 women: Shelley Hessen/Linda Dickson.

Europe: Sarah Macky, Kate O'Brien.

Mistral men: Jon Paul Tobin, James Wells, Tom Ashley, Matthew McCormick.

Mistral women: Barbara Kendall, Sheena McKinnon, Julie Worth, Anita Purdie.

Tornado: Aaron McIntosh/Mark Kennedy.

Yngling: Alesha Thorpe/Michelle Vinsen/Karen Lambert, Sharon Ferris/Jo White/Sara Winther.

49er: Mike Bassett/Ed Smyth, Chris Burgess/Chris Skinner.

Laser: Robbie McMillan, Andrew Murdoch, David Weaver, Rod Dawson, Michael Bullot, Hamish Pepper.

Star: Rohan Lord/Andrew Taylor, Peter Delaney/Jim Bolland.