Tough day has local sailors in hunt at World Cup

IN CONTENTION: Tauranga's Molly Meech, left, and Alex Maloney are among several New Zealanders competing at the 2016 Sailing World Cup in Hyeres. PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

At the close of day two of the 2016 Sailing World Cup in Hyeres the NZL Sailing Team are in the top two in three events, with a total of nine Kiwi crews placed within the top 10.

While day one produced top-end conditions, with capsizes, rig and boat damage across the fleets, things turned around and the sailors faced the challenge of a no-wind delay, followed by a shifty, building breeze.

Peter Burling (Tauranga) and Blair Tuke retain their lead in the men's skiff.

A win, a sixth and a third in yesterday's three races has them out in front by three points with young Aussies the Phillips brothers still the closest of the chasing pack in second.

In the Laser class, like the Finn, it's yet to be decided who will represent New Zealand at Rio 2016 with very little to split top contenders Tauranga's Sam Meech and Andy Maloney.

"This is an important one for us coming at a time where they [Yachting New Zealand] will be choosing," Meech said. "We both have a really good chance and whoever sails well could go, but we are at a similar level so it will be very tricky for the selectors."

Meech is lying ninth and Maloney is 11th with just three points separating the two Kiwis on the leaderboard.

NZL Sailing Team's Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (Tauranga) are in 10th in the quality fleet after placing ninth, 22nd, fourth and 13th.

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie appear second in the standings , but on net points are first equal with longtime rivals Hannah Mills and Saskia Clarke of the British Sailing Team.

The NZL Sailing Team women, who already have the nod for Rio 2016, opened the day with a 17th, then bounced back with a sixth place.

Josh Junior has been overtaken for the lead in the Finn class by Australia's Jake Lilley, who won both races.

Junior, who is locked in a tightly-fought Olympic selection battle with teammate Andrew Murdoch (Tauranga), is in second, six points adrift of Lilley. Murdoch is lying 10th after a 19th and a ninth.

Racing against 38 other double-handed crews, Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox have retained fourth in the men's 470 fleet, adding a couple of top-10 race results with a 10th and then a 3rd.

Snow Hansen and Willcox were named as the men's 470 crew to sail in Rio 2016 for New Zealand, and returned a career-topping world championship silver medal in February.