SPORT BRIEFS - Sailing, Karting and Touch Rugby

• SAILING
Olympian advises junior sailors
OLYMPIAN Andrew Murdoch was back home last week giving a number of the junior Laser sailors the chance for some last-minute fine-tuning before they started the World Laser Radial championships at Takapuna on Monday.
Murdoch, who will sail in the Laser regatta in Qingdao, China later in the year, gave a number of the junior sailors the benefit of his experience in a Whangarei training day.
All 10 sailors from Northland have either competed at or will be competing at the event.
They are Donna Hamilton, Rachael Basevi (Algies Bay, U19 female), Charlie Cartwright, Rawiri Geddes (U19 male), Aevril Hibbard (Taipa, women), Joseph Wright, Kayne Jacobson, Spencer Loxton Travis Dow (Whangarei, all U19 male) and Tom Barker (Whangarei, men).
• KARTING
McLean performs on second day
WHANGAREI karter Thomas McLean finished a creditable 10th place in his cadet (under-12) class final in the New Zealand Sprint Championships at Blenheim over the weekend.
McLean had a tough day getting used to the heat and the dry conditions on the opening day of racing on Saturday and ended the day as the final car on the grid of 20.
The second day of racing saw him get a better set up for the local conditions and his consistent driving saw him march forward through the field to finish the final race at the halfway mark.
McLean was the only member of the Whangarei Kart Club who attended this year's event.
• TOUCH
Girls' High and Kamo out on top
THE Northland Touch Championships were held earlier this month with the top two teams in each of the grades competing for selection for the zone finals in Auckland.
Whangarei Girls' High School was too strong for Northland College in the final of the girls' competition, with both teams now eligible for the Auckland event.
The final of the mixed section was very close and had to go to drop-off to find a winner, with Kamo High School finally taking the prize. Tikipunga High School was the runner-up.