Yachting: Six more names complete Olympics team

10.15am

Six names have been added to the New Zealand Olympic yachting team for the Athens Games beginning on August 13.

The six announced by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) and Yachting New Zealand today will join the original six named in early May.

America's Cup skipper Dean Barker will make his Olympic debut in Athens after being confirmed in the Finn Class.

Barker confirmed his spot in the team after finishing fourth at the European Finn championships in a world class fleet and 11th at the Princess Sofia regatta.

Barker missed selection for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta in the Finn Class.

The 1996 Atlanta Olympian Sharon Ferris (Europe Class) will be joined by Joanna White and Kylie Jameson in the new Olympic class, Yngling.

The crew won a bronze medal at the 2003 Yngling Open world championships and a gold medal at the highly rated Miami Olympic class regatta this year.

Shelley Hesson and Linda Dickson have been confirmed in the Women's 470. The national champions finished second at the Olympic qualifying regatta earlier this year, but confirmed their spot with a list of consistent results at recent European regattas.

"The support we have in place for the team to Athens is excellent and we are confident this is another strong team," Yachting New Zealand chief executive Simon Wickham said in a statement today.

"From here it really is up to the sailors to perform on the day and we wish them every success."

Olympic yachting team:

Finn - Dean Barker

Yngling - Sharon Ferris, Joanna White, Kylie Jameson

Women's 470 - Shelley Hesson, Linda Dickson

Women's Mistral - Barbara Kendall

Men's Mistral - Thomas Ashley

Men's 470 - Andrew Brown, Jamie Hunt

Laser - Hamish Pepper

Europe - Sarah Macky

- NZPA