Laser 4.7 World Championships - Aussie teenagers finish in top ten
by Peter Campbell on 4 Aug 2011
Australian Nicholas Connor was in a happy mood when he finished second in heat 3 - Laser 4.7 World Championships 2011 Richard Scarr
At the 2011 Laser 4.7 World Championship sailed on San Francisco Bay over this past week, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club' Nicholas Connor finished the competition in fourth place in the under 16-year-old Boys division.
Nicholas finished the competition as the top placed Australian and was one of 11 teenage Australian boys and girls who contested the world championships, with 112 boys sailing in two qualifying fleets and 56 girls in one fleet on the notoriously windy, rough and current-affected bay.
The 15-year-old was one of four Australian boys who qualified for the gold fleet finals, turning in a consistent series that included a second place in heat three to finish 23rd overall. Over the 12 heats, he was in the top 20 in every heat except four.
He finished one place and one point ahead of West Australian Ben Walkemeyer, who slipped back towards the end of the regatta.
Ben graduated to Laser 4.7 after sailing Manly Juniors and Flying Elevens at Avalon Sailing Club and was among a large group coached by Richard Scarr before he moved to Tasmania. Scarr was team coach for the Laser 4.7 worlds.
European sailors dominated both the boys and girls championships, with the boys title going to a Spanish sailor, the girls to an Italian.
Top placed Australian in the girls champion was Sydney sailor Milly Bennett who placed ninth overall, the only non-European in the top 20 girls.
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