KEY POINTS:
Yachting New Zealand will be well satisfied if their sailors return from Beijing having matched their medal haul at last week's world championships.
YNZ have set a target of two medals at next year's Olympics and believe this is realistic after Barbara Kendall (RS:X boardsailing) and Andrew Murdoch
(Laser) picked up silvers in Portugal.
Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams were the next best Kiwis with a fourth placing in the highly competitive Star class, while the women's Yngling led by Sharon Ferris and Jo Aleh in the Laser Radial finished in the top 10.
It's not a true gauge on how New Zealand will do at the Olympics, because they will be raced in very different conditions. While Portugal was generally blustery, light and shifty winds are expected in China. But this could suit the Kiwis, who are renowned for tactical sailing.
The key in Portugal was to qualify as many classes for the Olympics as possible. Eight of the 10 classes competing last week achieved this - the men's and women's RS:X boardsailing, Star, Laser, Finn, Laser Radial and Yngling and yesterday they were joined by the women's 470.
There are high hopes youngsters Carl Evans and Peter Burling will qualify from next year's 470 world championships in Australia, which will be their last chance.
While YNZ want only medal contenders for Beijing, they want to give Evans and Burling, who are world champions in the 420s, experience ahead of the 2012 games.
"Our goal has always been to win two medals at the Olympics and that still remains the goal [after the world championships]," YNZ chief executive Des Brennan said.
"Our preparations have been good and we have got some fantastic sailors. With the eight classes we have qualified, any one of those classes could medal."
Yachting has been one of New Zealand's most successful Olympic sports but competitors underperformed badly in Athens, and failed to win a medal.
This time around YNZ have established a detailed programme, and they hope to settle on the majority of their Olympic nominations in the next four weeks to give the sailors the best build-up possible. Members of the Olympic squad will also race in Qingdao next month at a pre-Olympic regatta.
The men RS:X boardsailing is the closest selection race, although Tom Ashley would appear to have the inside running over Jon-Paul Tobin.
"It's been fairly clear for some time who the absolute leaders in every class have been and they have been members of the Olympic squad," Brennan said.