SAILING: A South Essex sailor is enjoying considerable success at the Contender dinghy class world championship pre-event on the other side of the world.

Chris Boshier has logged a very decent start to the introductory event, placing 11th in race one and 20th in race two.

With more than 60 competitors from almost 10 countries competing the event Boshier’s early start is really promising.

And it means that the Thames Estuary - a member at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club - has a chance to tune his borrowed boat for the conditions in advance of teh main regatta which starts later this week. The regattas take place at Belmont in New South Wales.

Racing is taking place in the pre-worlds event on the shores of Lake Macquarie – an hour and a half north of Sydney. Lake Macquarie is Australia's largest coastal salt water lake.