Yachting: Kiwi sailors start strongly

Laser sailor Andrew Murdoch. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand sailors have got their campaigns off to a good start overnight at the seventh and final round of yachting's World Cup series for Olympic classes at Weymouth, England, with Star class duo Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk and Laser sailor Andrew Murdoch leading the way.

After day one, Pepper and Monk claimed an early lead in the six-day series over a 36-strong fleet with two wins. Kerikeri's Murdoch, 28, tops the leaderboard in the 180-strong Laser fleet with a win and a second placing to lead Marc De Haas of the Netherlands and reigning Olympic champion Paul Goodison of Britain, both on six points.

The best of the 22 other New Zealand crews were Peter Burling and Blair Tuke who are fourth overall in the 49ers and Dan Slater eighth in the Finn class.