Yachting: Good day for Kiwi sailors

2016 470 World Championship. 20-27 February. San Isidro, Argentina. Photo / Matias Capizzano

Both NZL Sailing Team crews competing at the 2016 470 World Championships improved their position on day four of the regatta, with Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox regaining the overall lead.

Snow-Hansen and Willcox returned to their day one form finishing all three of today's races near the front of the pack with a bullet in the first race, then a third, and rounding out the day with another bullet.

Today's results sees the Kiwi pair climb from seventh overall back up to the top of the leader board and two points clear of Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic of Croatia, who hold second place.

Defending world Champions, Australia's Mathew Belcher and William Ryan, are lying third nine points behind the Croatians.

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie also opened the day with a race win today in San Isidro, Argentina going on to sail another two races through the afternoon in which they placed seventh and then 15th.

After climbing back into the top 10 yesterday they've further improved in the pecking order after today to lie fifth overall in the women's fleet.

"It was an extremely long day out there today," reports Polly Powrie. "Eight hours from leaving the boat park to getting back in."

"We sailed three races consisting of one good one and two average ones," she continues. "Crazy day with excessive amounts of weed on the course... we had to avoid a few islands in the first race, which kept things rather interesting."

Tomorrow is the penultimate day of the regatta and three more fleet races are scheduled ahead of the final day on Saturday in Argentina and Team Jolly are aiming to put those races to good use.

"We have another three races tomorrow, so will have to go give it heaps and see where we end up!"

France's Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance are leading, with crews from China and USA lying 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In Israel at the 2016 RS:X World Championships where Natalia Kosinska is representing New Zealand, gold fleet racing kicked off and three races were sailed. Kosinska couldn't repeat her day two form and has slipped to 19th place after recording a 22nd, 20th and 30th on the water today.

Both Championships run until Saturday February 27 when the podium places will be decided.