Youth sweeps O.K. dinghies

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 18

Youth sweeps O.K. dinghies

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. The Auckland helmsman Rex Lamb took his first major yachting championship when he won the interdominion OK dinghy championship off Murrays Bay yesterday. Lamb, who finished eighth in the world O.K. championship in Finland last year, showed the stamp of a champion in the manner he read the conditions yesterday. Looking for the wind change in sailing offshore in the first windward beat, he misjudged and was placed about 30th at the first mark. Unperturbed, Lamb went looking for the swings again on the second beat, caught a beauty and picked up the placings to finish third. Over-all, he was a handsome contest leader with the loss of 21.7 points compared to the 45.1 points lost by the Australian junior champion, Mark Fisher, who finished second. The national champion, Peter Lester (Canterbury, 45.4 points) was third, with David Barnes (Wellington, 50.7), fourth. The New Zealand Yachting Federation youth coach, Harold Bennett, of Auckland,

hailed the result of the championship as a major breakthrough for youth. “Lamb is a 20-year-old,” said Bennett, “Fisher 17, Barnes 17, Leith Armit, who placed fifth, is 15, Peter Meynard (Christchurch), who was placed seventh, 19. and Peter Kempkers (Canterbury , ninth), 17. “At last we have matched the Swedes, who put their top youngsters into the O.K. class and reap the benefits of top-class competition.”