KEY POINTS:
New Zealand will have a spot in at least six yachting classes at next year's Beijing Olympic Games after qualifying a place each in the Yngling and Finn at the world championships in Portugal today.
More places are likely to be achieved with board sailors yet to complete
their races.
Sharon Ferris, Raynor Smeal and Shandy Buckley managed their best result of the season in the Yngling at Cascais.
They were seventh in the medal race and finished sixth overall, well inside the top 10 countries earning Olympic berths in Qingdao, where the Games yachting will be staged.
"Unfortunately we didn't quite get the start that we wanted, we didn't quite defend the right-hand side where it was favoured," Ferris said.
"But it was a very shifty race. Overall though, we're very, very happy with the result, we did what we came here to do."
The trio won two races in the series at the championships and Ferris said all they wanted to do now was to improve their strategy in light conditions.
Ferris represented New Zealand in the Yngling in the 2004 Olympic Games where she finished seventh. She has two new crew members now for Beijing.
Both Smeal and Buckley are from Northland.
"Ray's our rock, she's really, really solid, and Shandy, our nipper, is coming on in leaps and bounds since she joined us only six months ago. We're team Northland and very proud of it."
Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson of Great Britain won the Yngling title.
Dan Slater missed out on the top-10 medal race but earned New Zealand a Games place in the Finn with a 16th finish. Nineteen places were available in the class.
New Zealand now have confirmed places in the Star, Laser, Laser Radial, Yngling and Finn, with more places in the boardsailing looking likely.
Barbara Kendall added another win today to retain her second place going into the medal race. Kendall has 30 points, 11 behind leader Zofia Klepacka, of Poland. Marina Alabau is in third place, 12 behind Kendall.
Tom Ashley is the better-placed of the two New Zealanders in the men's boardsailing gold fleet though neither made the top 10 cut for the medal race.
Ashley is in 15th place and Jon-Paul Tobin 24th. New Zealand need a representative within the top 25 countries in the class for Olympic qualification. There is just one race left to sail.
The 470 class have two days of competition remaining to wrap up the championships. Melinda Henshaw and Olivia Powrie are the only New Zealand crew to make gold fleet, and are still in contention to finish within the top 13 countries that would be allocated a berth in the Games.
Today they were eighth and 16th and remain in 13th place on the leader board.
New Zealand results
Finals
Yngling - Sharon Ferris, Raynor Smeal & Shandy Buckley 6.
Finn - Dan Slater 16.
Current standings
Women's RS:X - Barbara Kendall 2
Men's RS:X - Tom Ashley 15, Jon-Paul Tobin 24
Women's 470 - Melinda Henshaw & Olivia Powrie 13.
- NZPA
