Australian yachtsman wins world title

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 44

Australian yachtsman wins world title

PA Auckland Mark Fisher, of Australia, making his sixth attempt at the title, won the world OK Dinghy championships off Milford Beach, Auckland, yesterday. Fisher, sailing a seven-year-old boat, overcame a slow start to snatch the lead on the fourth leg of the last race and to win the championships from the New Zealanders, Peter Meo and Leith Armit.

Armit, the defending champion, led Fisher by 5.7 points at the start oi the race and had to finish second to beat the Australian. Meo had to beat

Fisher to have any chance. After almost two hours of sailing in winds which varied from about eight to 12 knots Fisher beat Johan Peterson (Sweden)

Results.—Race six: John Weston (N.Z.), 5.56.38, 1; Rohan Lord (U.K.), 5.58.40, 2; Mark Croad (N.Z.), 5.59.01, 3; Nigel Soper (N.Z.), 5.59.16, 4; Bryan Fifield (N.Z.), 5.59.19, 5; David Aitcheson (Aust.), 5.59.38, 6; Greg Wilcox (N.Z.), 5.59.46, 7; Johan Peterson (Sweden), 5.59.59, 8; Leith Armit (N.Z.), 6.00.26, 9; Karsten Hitz (W. Germ.), 6.01.31, 10.

Race seven: Mark Fisher (Aust.), 12.45.38, 1; Peterson, 12.46.50, 2; Peter Meo (N.Z.), 12.47.15, 3; Mats Andersson (Sweden). 12.47.15. 4: Craig

Monk (N.Z.), 12.47.25, 5; Joe Porebski (N.Z.), 12.48.04, 6; Fifield, 12.48.08, 7; Anders Welinder (Sweden), 12.48.09, 8; Justin Arthur (Aust.), 12.48.30, 9; Adrian Mannering (N.Z.), 12.48.33, 10. Over all: Fisher, 45.4, 1; Meo, 49.4, 2; Armit, 56.7, 3; Lord, 62, 4; Monk, 66.1, 5; Peterson, 70, 6; Weston, 73, 7; Croad, 77.4, 8; Andersson, 80, 9; Soper, 88, 10; Arthur 96, 11; Bo Staffan Andersson (Sweden), 96.7,12; Fifield, 99, 13; Hitz, 115. 14; Peter Maynard (N.Z.), 127, 15.

World junior championship: Monk, 1; M. Andersson, 2; Arthur, 3; Roger Blasse (Aust.), 204, 4; Welinder, 229, 5; Justin Barr (Aust.), 306, 6.

Inter-dominion contest: Meo, 31, 1; Fisher, 31.4, 2; Armit, 40.7, 3; Monk 50.1, 4; Croad, 56.4, 5.