College sport: Sailor in line for world double

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Michael Bullot is riding a wave of success after winning the world Laser Radial yachting championship in Barcelona.

The Westlake Boys High School seventh-former paid no heed to his senior opponents, winning four of the nine races to claim the title ahead of Brazilian Andre Streppel by two points.

He is now leading at the world youth champs in the class, with two wins from two races, and is well placed to complete the double, which no one has ever achieved.

Bullot, a member of the Murrays Bay Yacht Club, decided to enter the Laser Radial class to pass the time after his fourth place in the ISAF Youth championships in France.

"He was in Europe and had some time between events, so decided to enter the Laser Radials, which he didn't need to qualify for," said his father, John.

Bullot usually competes in Laser yachts, which are slightly bigger than the Radials, but he was by no means out of his depth. He was the only one of 235 yachtsmen from 37 countries to finish in the top seven in all nine races in a variety of wind strengths and direction.

Bullot remained calm under pressure and was tied with Streppel and Swede Fredrik Lassenius for the lead going into the final day. His worst result of the regatta, seventh place, was discounted and a fourth on the last day was enough to hold out Streppel, who won the final race.

RUGBY

Auckland Grammar broke St Kentigern College's unbeaten record for the season with a hard-fought 6-5 win, allowing Kelston Boys High School to take control of the 1st XV 1A championship points table with 41 points, two ahead of St Kentigern.

Grammar's win gives them a more secure spot in the standings, in third place with 31 points. But there is still a log-jam for the final two play-off places. King's College's decisive 45-0 win over Otahuhu College and De La Salle's 28-10 victory against Onehunga puts them both in contention. Sacred Heart still have a slim chance after their 46-0 trouncing of defending champions St Peter's College, as do Mt Albert Grammar, despite being beaten 24-20 by Kelston.

It will be a tough two weeks for St Kentigern, meeting a Moascar Cup-inspired De La Salle side on Saturday and Kelston in the final week, while Mt Albert face the guillotine against King's next week - a game which could see their play-off chances abruptly cut.

BADMINTON

Lillian Hsu from Epsom Girls Grammar and Waitakere College's Sean Carruthers emerged top seniors at the Auckland secondary school championships yesterday.

Josh Perry (Howick College) finished second behind Carruthers, and Chin Lee Yu from St Kentigern picked up third place. In the girls' event, Clare Daly of Pakuranga College came second and Josephine Chang of Macleans College was third.

Epsom Girls Grammar scooped the senior and junior titles, with Michelle Chan winning the junior individual championships. Manurewa High School's Cara Lee Moore and Helen Marx won the senior doubles while Macleans College took out the boys' doubles title.

TRIATHLON

Auckland Grammar's James Elvery and Terenzo Bozzone (Rangitoto College) finished a credible 9th and 13th respectively at the world championships in Canada.

Elvery's ninth in the 16-19 year-old age group came a week after he won the New Zealand secondary schools duathlon championships. Sixteen-year-old Bozzone, who was granted dispensation to compete in the elite junior category only a day before the race, crossed the line two minutes behind winner Sebastian Dehmer of Germany.

This week:

Today

Intercity boys hockey.

Counties Manukau: netball.

Tomorrow

Intercity girls hockey.

Friday

New Zealand secondary school zonal basketball championships.

Auckland: premier basketball, squash.

Saturday

New Zealand secondary school North Island and South Island rugby league knockout competition.

Auckland: rugby, soccer, netball.

Counties Manukau: rugby, Lenco Cup rugby.

North Harbour: netball, rugby.

Sunday

Auckland: secondary schools road running championships.

Monday

Auckland: girls rugby quarter-finals, squash.