SYDNEY - New Zealander Andrew Murdoch had to settle for a world youth sailing championship silver medal yesterday after Australian Ben Austin survived a protest to win the Laser event.
Murdoch, bronze medallist in Finland last year, had gone into the final day needing to finish three places higher than Austin
in the last race to grab the title.
Going to the top mark for the final time, the Kerikeri sailor looked on course to do that with about five boats separating the two, but Austin was able to make up ground downwind.
Murdoch crossed the finish line second, with Austin one place back to secure the gold medal by just two points. Bronze went to race winner Thomas Le Breton, of France.
Confirmation of the result was delayed after the New Zealand camp lodged a third-party protest over a pre-start collision involving Austin and Brazilian Henry Boenning.
The jury eventually dismissed the protest.
Coach Peter Fox said Murdoch had mixed emotions about how the regatta had ended because the New Zealanders felt that they had a good case.
"He's happy with the medal but he's pretty annoyed about the outcome of the protest," Fox said.
"He had gone into today wanting to win. He has sailed really well this week and put everything into it."
The final round of racing in six to eight knot winds produced few changes to New Zealand positions in the other events.
In the single-handed Byte dinghies, Aucklander Karen O'Brien had an eighth placing to finished eighth overall, a result that earned praise from Fox.
At just 16, O'Brien was up against rivals who were two years older than her, and the event winner, Norway's Siren Sundby, competed in the Europe class at the Olympic Games in Sydney.
Boardsailor James Wells remained seventh overall despite a 16th placing, while Anna Eason had a sixth to finish 10th overall in the girls' fleet.
Mike Bassett and Mark Kennedy moved up one place to eighth overall in the boys' double-handed 420 event, while the girls crew of Shelley Bassett and Karen Lambert ended 12th overall.
In the teams competition, defending champions France again claimed the Volvo Trophy with 373 points.
New Zealand's tally of 240 put them fifth among the 37 nations.
- NZPA
