The final New Zealand Olympic selection trial in the Finn yachting class is turning into a close contest, with all three contenders lying in the fleet's top 10.
The European championship at La Rochelle in France is doubling as the trial, with Clifton Webb the best of the New Zealand contingentafter three of the nine races in the regatta.
Sydney Olympian Webb crossed the line 19th in the sole contest today to drop from third overall to fifth.
America's Cup skipper Dean Barker's sixth placing lifted him four spots on the points' table to ninth overall.
Peter Fox, New Zealand's Laser representative at the Sydney Olympics, finished 35th to drop three places to 10th overall.
Meanwhile, in Spain, where two crews are trying to qualify New Zealand for Athens in the women's Yngling keelboat class, Sharon Ferris' team dropped from overnight leaders to sixth overall.
Alesha Thorpe and her two crew-mates were 12th, after four races in the 10-race world championship regatta at Santander.
If the standings stay as they are, New Zealand will qualify for one of the four Olympic spots up for grabs.
In Croatia, the world 470 championships continued to provide a mixed bag for New Zealand crews.
New Zealand have qualified for Athens in both the men's and women's 470 events, and the main interest is in the women's fleet, where selection is still up in the air.
The crew of Melinda Henshaw and Jan Shearer have the inside running after winning the national Olympic trials in January.
But they still need to prove to the selectors they have the potential to finish in the top 10 at the Olympics.
Their three top-five placings in the first five races so far at Zadar have been balanced by a disqualification, leaving them 18th overall.
Compatriots Shelley Hesson and Linda Dickson were 28th overall.
In the men's fleet, brothers Stephen and Phillip Keen were the best of the New Zealanders at 28th overall.
Olympics-bound Andrew Brown and Jamie Hunt were 49th, while Simon Cooke and Alistair Gair were 52nd.
