The British pair raced to a comprehensive victory over reigning world champions and home favourites Storm Uru and Peter Taylor, with their lead stretching to two lengths at one point.

Olympic champions Hunter and Purchase are now looking in great shape to pick up their first world title on Friday.

Hunter told Press Association Sport: "A semi-final is probably the race of death.

"We had a plan in mind that we wanted to execute and it went perfectly, and you saw the result - it was a comfortable win in the end.

"To turn them over on home water, they won't be best pleased with that, but we're here to do our thing and it's up to everyone else to try to match us."

In the lightweight women's double British pair Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking matched their male counterparts by winning their semi-final against Greece.

Goodsell said: "We knew we had to go out hard - we had to not let anybody go because when we've been beaten before that's what we've done."

Hosking added: "It's really exciting.

"It's great to get out there and get among the other countries and test your speed, and we're just really relishing the competition."


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