Yachting: Victory puts wind in sails for Games

Boardsailor Jon-Paul Tobin says suggestions that light air will haunt the sailing venue at the Beijing Olympics may be unfounded.

Tobin spent a month in Qingdao in August, the equivalent time of year for the 2008 Games.

He said the visit "blew away a few of the myths".

"There has been all these ideas that it is going to be a light air venue but while I was there, there was pretty much everything."

Tobin wrapped up the latest stage of his Olympic campaign yesterday, winning the RS:X class at the Sail Auckland regatta held on the Waitemata Harbour.

Tobin beat main rival Tom Ashley, taking three wins in the nine-race regatta which finished early due to light winds.

The event tops off what has successful few weeks for Tobin. He finished second in the Sail Melbourne regatta and second in the New Zealand championships to Ashley.

He will now take a two-week break before embarking on the next stage of his campaign - a lengthy stint in Europe, where he will compete in several international events, including the European Championships and the Worlds.

The Sail Auckland regatta was dominated by Yachting New Zealand's Olympic development squad members, with Jo Aleh taking out the Laser Radials and Andrew Murdoch the Laser class.

Tornado hopefuls Aaron McIntosh and Bruce Kendall were pipped by internationals Carolijn Brouwer (Netherlands) and Sebastien Godefroid (Belgium), and Daniel Slater finished second in the Finn class.

To secure a spot in the Olympic development squad, sailors have to finish either in the top eight at the European Championships or in the top 10 at the world championships.

Tobin and Ashley are keen to demonstrate that they have proved themselves on the new RS:X board and deserve a place in the squad.

"Given that we have had some of the top guys race here [at Sail Auckland] and in the nationals and we finished well clear of them, as far as proving things I think we have done that," Tobin said.

Slater, who competed in the 49er class at the 2000 Olympics, is new to the Finn class.

Like most in the Olympic squad he too is bound for Europe.

"One of the biggest lessons learned from the last Olympics was that every medallist had done a campaign before. You are not going to win a medal with a six-month build up or even a year's buildup," Slater said.

The Finn class is dominated by Britain's Ben Ainslie, who has indicated he will be on the startline in Beijing.

Slater said he and Ainslie are good mates.

"We sailed against each other when we were younger. I could beat him then, so there is no reason why I can't beat him now."