KEY POINTS:
Aaron McIntosh and Mark Kennedy hope the poor weather forecast off Takapuna today won't cost them the opportunity to climb back into the top 10 at the Tornado World Champs.
After starting day five in seventh place overall, the Kiwis dropped back to 12th on the back of a disappointing day on the water, recording 24th and 15th respectively in their two races.
With winds upwards of 25 knots forecast today it is touch and go whether organisers will get any sailing in on the final day, meaning McIntosh and Kennedy may not get the chance to improve on that result.
McIntosh said while it looks as though "mother nature will dish up a few little nasties", he hopes to get in a full regatta.
"It'll certainly be exciting stuff if we get to hit the water," the Olympic medallist said.
With just five points separating seventh and 12 place, McIntosh is confident the Kiwi crew can sneak back inside the top 10 if the weather allows racing on the final day.
"I think it's quite achievable. The points are very, very close so we'll have to push hard," he said.
Should racing go ahead today the heavy winds predicted should make for extremely trying conditions for the sailors, but McIntosh said it won't alter his team's approach.
Though disappointed to slip outside the top 10, should the final two races today be called off, McIntosh and Kennedy have still done enough to secure New Zealand one of the four spots still open at the Olympics.
Of the nations yet to qualify for the Beijing Games, Canada, in second place overall, are still leading the charge, with back-to-back gold medallists Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher of Austria leapfrogging New Zealand into second following a win in race eight. The fourth spot belongs to the Ukraine, who are back in 16th place.
Day five belonged to impressive Australian pair Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby who snatched overall lead with a first and a sixth. It is a remarkable result for the world number one pair, who found themselves languishing back in 19th after a dismal opening day of the regatta.
Overnight leaders Yann Guichard and Alexandre Guyander of France have dropped back to third.
