Sailors Blair Tuke and Peter Burling near Volvo Ocean Race finish line

Sailing enthusiasts Brett Hammond, left, and Dave Keen can barely contain their excitement as the Volvo Ocean Race nears its climax - and a possible triple crown for Kerikeri's Blair Tuke.

Excitement is building among Bay of Islands yachting enthusiasts at the prospect of a Kerikeri man claiming sailing's greatest prize.

To lay claim to the elusive triple crown a sailor has to win Olympic gold, the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race all in one cycle.

Kerikeri's Blair Tuke and Tauranga's Peter Burling, Team New Zealand members who also won gold at the Rio Olympics, are both in the running with their teams in the Volvo Ocean Race — Mapfre and Brunel, respectively — currently tied for first on 65 points with just the final sprint leg to go.

However, another Kiwi could spoil the party, with Nelson sailor Daryl Wislang on DongFeng just one point behind but due to be awarded a bonus point for the shortest sailing time overall.

The 10th and shortest leg of the around-the-world race, from Gothenburg in Sweden to The Hague in the Netherlands, started last night, New Zealand time. The fleet is expected to arrive in The Hague by Sunday.

Kerikeri business owner Dave Keen, who organised parades for Tuke and Burling after their Olympic successes, said a win for Tuke will put him on sailing's highest pedestal.

''I'm very proud that a small town like Kerikeri can potentially produce the world's greatest sailor.''

The success of Tuke, and many other Bay of Islands sailors, could be traced back to Derry Godbert, a former sailing tutor at Kerikeri High School and founder of the Kerikeri Cruising Club's learn to sail programme, Keen said.

Kerikeri business owner Brett Hammond is equally excited, but his support extends to all Kiwi sailors in the competition.

''That last 700 [nautical] miles is going to be an amazing drag race.''

Other Kerikeri sailors in the race include Brad Farrand and Justin Ferris on the Dutch boat AkzoNobel. While Burling was raised in Tauranga his father Richard hails from Whangārei and his grandparents live in Kerikeri.