New Zealander sailor Andrew Murdoch hit the lead in the Laser class after the third day of the French Olympic Sailing Week regatta off Hyeres yesterday.
Murdoch handled shifty, unpredictable conditions to finish second in yesterday's first race.
He was 13th in the second but was able todiscard that result, his worst of the week.
Third at the start of the day, Murdoch leap-frogged Canadian Michael Leigh and Great Britain's Nick Thompson after both struggled.
Murdoch's 14 points have him seven points in front of Leigh at the head of a 156-strong field.
Jo Aleh continued her climb up the ranks in the Laser Radial, helped by a discard as she advanced from 26th to sixth. The Olympic-bound sailor was boosted by a win in race six this morning.
Carl Evans and Peter Burling retain seventh place in the 75-boat men's 470 fleet following 21st and ninth place efforts. In the Finn class, Dan Slater earned 18th, 11th and 14th places to be 11th overall.
NZ STANDINGS Men: Finn (55 boats): Dan Slater 11. Laser (149 boats): Andrew Murdoch 1. 470 (73 boats): Carl Evans/Peter Burling 7. Tornado (21 boats): Aaron McIntosh/Mark Kennedy 16. RS:X (92 boards): Mike Kilduff 72.
Women: Laser Radial (78 boats): Jo Aleh 6. RS:X (59 boards): Kate Ellingham 27, Steffanie Williams 29.
