Yachting: Barker and Ferris win Olympic trials

11.50am

Finn sailor Dean Barker and the Yngling crew skippered by Sharon Ferris today won the right to be considered for Olympic selection.

Yachting New Zealand will decide on nominations for the two classes within 21 days, with one criterion being whether the selectors believe the sailors can finish in the top 10 at Athens.

However, YNZ chief executive Simon Wickham said the performances of Barker and of Ferris and her crew in separate regattas this week had put them in a strong position to be nominated.

Earlier this month, the New Zealand Olympic Committee confirmed the selection of crews in five other yachting classes.

Barker is sailing at the European championship, which is being used as the second of two trials for the Finn berth.

The America's Cup skipper had a win and ninth in the day's two races at La Rochelle in France to remain fifth overall in the 90-strong fleet with one race to go.

More importantly, he has taken an unassailable lead on the trial points table over rivals Clifton Webb and Peter Fox.

Barker's win came in the day's second race in the most difficult conditions of the week, with the wind fluctuating in direction and strength.

On a triangular course, he overtook Greek race leader Emilios Papathanasiou on the reaching leg and held on to the finish line.

Webb, New Zealand's Finn representative at the Sydney Olympics, had placings of 10th and 41st to drop to 12th overall in the regatta.

Fox, who was also at the 2000 Olympics but in the Laser class, was 32nd and 12th, to move back to 13th overall.

Barker finished ahead of Webb and Fox in the first trial -- the Princess Sofia regatta in Spain last month.

At the Yngling world championship in Spain, Ferris and her crew confirmed New Zealand's qualification for Athens in the three-person keelboat class, which is making its Olympic debut.

Ferris and team-mates Joanna White and Kylie Jameson also earned the right to be considered for nomination ahead of rivals Alesha Thorpe, Karen Lambert and Michelle Vinsen.

Ferris, a 1996 Olympian in the Europe dinghy class, and her crew had placings of 25th, 27th and fifth at Santander today to lie 11th overall with one race to sail.

Thorpe and her crew were 19th overall, with a 12th being their best finish of the day.

- NZPA