Yachting: NZ sailors pick up brace of silvers

New Zealand sailors picked up two silver medals at the Kieler Woche yachting regatta in Germany overnight (NZT).

Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk finished second in the Star class while Michael Bullot took silver in the Laser in the regatta, the sixth of seven events in the ISAF Sailing World Cup.

In perfect conditions, Pepper and Monk won the medal race to secure the Star silver medal after lying in third at the beginning of the final day.

Americans Mark Meddelblatt and Mark Strube won gold, while the overall leaders going into the medal race, Ian Percy and Andrew Simpson (Great Britain), slid back to finish with bronze.

The Britons' final points total was equal to New Zealand's but Pepper and Monk got the silver after winning the medal race.

Pepper was New Zealand's representative in the Star at the Beijing Olympics last year, where he finished ninth, while Monk is a former Olympic Finn class bronze medallist.

The Kieler Woche regatta is only the second international regatta for the combination after they finished ninth in last month's Delta Lloyd Regatta in the Netherlands.

Bullot has continued to demonstrate excellent form this season, adding a second ISAF World Sailing Cup silver medal to his tally.

With Paul Goodison (Britain) seemingly unstoppable at the front of the fleet, Bullot did well to protect his second place going into the medal race.

He was fourth across the finish in the medal race, just enough to retain his second place and give him the silver medal ahead of Croatian Daniel Mihelic.

Dan Slater was the only other New Zealander on the water in last night's medal races, where he finished fourth overall just two points adrift of third place.

- NZPA