Sailing: Kiwi crews in line for gold

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie. Photo / ISAF

Two New Zealand crews are in pole position to defend their titles at the world sailing championships in Santander, Spain.

Top performances from Peter Burling and Blair Tuke saw them extend their lead in the men's skiff, while Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie stormed to the top of the women's 470 standings with three good races.

Burling and Tuke now lead by a massive 29 points after an eighth, a second and a first in the three races overnight.

Aleh and Powrie stormed into the overall lead after three great races. After an average opening day a successful title defence required some resilience and the classy kiwi sailors are back on track with one more day of finals before Sunday's medal race.

Lying fifth, Aleh and Powrie started the day with a victory, then a fourth and a second to displace Austrians' Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar from the lead they've held since day one.

But while the kiwis have climbed to the top of the board the 2014 world crown isn't in the bag yet, and the Austrians are breathing down their necks just a point behind. USA's Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha are lying third a further five points adrift.

Aleh was pleased with their return from the day's sailing.

"For the first day we've had some decent breeze and just had three races and it was really good.

"We're sort of, back up to schedule now. I made a few mistakes today, it wasn't as good as it could have been but yeah, it was good racing."

In the Men's 470 Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox have slipped to 26th overall.

The Laser medal race took place overnight with New Zealand's Sam Meech finishing ninth.

World champions Molly Meech and Alex Maloney are struggling in the 49er FX class, sitting ninth overall after five races.