Yachting: Steele's strategy wins title

Chris Steele, winner of the Splash world yachting championships, with his trophy. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Kiwi sailor Chris Steele yesterday won the Splash world sailing championships off Takapuna Beach.

Fellow New Zealanders Declan Burn was second and Ben Lutze third - making it the sixth time in 10 years New Zealanders have won the title.

Steele, 17, of Wakatere Boating Club on Auckland's North Shore, is in his final year of high school. This is his second world championship title in sailing - he also won the Optimist World Championships in 2007.

"It's a great feeling, every bit as good as the first one," he said yesterday.

Beating 73 sailors from 12 countries, including European and Pacific nations, was the result of strategic, consistent sailing. He stayed as close as possible to the top sailors on days when the conditions were heavy and didn't suit him, and notched up mostly first and second places on the lighter days when they did suit him.

His rivalry with close friend Burn was a factor in his success. Burn won the Splash world championships last year in Wales, and the pair pushed each other hard on the racecourse this week. "It was a dogfight today between me and him," said Steele.

Laura Hemingway, 18, representing Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, won the women's title, finishing 20th overall in the fleet, on 144 points. Ina K. Berensten Kullmann (Norway), on an exchange programme in Auckland, was second, on 175 points, and reigning champion Nienke Reina Jorna (Netherlands) was third on 175 points.

This is Hemingway's last regatta in the Splash class. She placed fourth when she competed in the event in 2008 in Portugal, and she was able to secure consistent top-20 results to deliver her final prize.

"It's a really good feeling, you know you've excelled," she said.

New Zealand won the Nations Trophy for the second year in a row. New Zealanders have been world champions in the class in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

The Silver Fleet was won by Wouter Hufen (Netherlands), with David Turney (NZ) second and Louise Maes (Belgium) third.