13 Mar 2016

Junior slips out of medals at sailing champs

8:32 am on 13 March 2016

New Zealand sailor Josh Junior has slipped from second place to miss out on a medal on the final day of racing at the Finn European Championships in Barcelona.

New Zealand sailor Josh Junior.

New Zealand sailor Josh Junior. Photo: Robert Deaves

Starting the day in second place, Junior finished 30th in this morning's final fleet race, before finishing fourth in the following top ten medal race.

Junior had lead the light wind effected event at one stage.

Fellow New Zealander Andrew Murdoch finished 19th.

Speaking after racing Junior said he was pretty happy with the week despite missing out on a medal.

"It's been pretty light. We've had 7-11 knots all week and for me that's challenging racing, so I am really happy to come away with a fourth."

"I think the last two races of the fleet racing series I threw away any medal chances. I got a 40th and 30th and that dropped me down the fleet," he concedes.

Junior said he's pleased to have made up ground after missing a top ten finish at last year's Finn Gold Cup hosted in Auckland.

"But it is nice to bounce back into the top five after a 14th in Takapuna, so just continue like that for the rest of the year and we'll be looking good going into the Olympics."

The title of 2016 Finn European Champion went to Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) who held onto his penultimate day lead to win the crown.

Hungary's Zsombor Berecz won the silver medal and Croatia's Milan Vujasinovic won bronze.

-RNZ