KEY POINTS:
Defending champions Peter Burling and Carl Evans allowed themselves Christmas Day off, but that was it as they prepared for today's start of the world 420 championships and what could be their last major regatta in the class.
Burling and Evans, both 16, won the Open 420 world
championships in Spain's Canary Islands last year becoming the youngest world champions in the class.
Evans (from Auckland) and Burling (from Tauranga) are among 62 competitors in the open men's division being sailed off Takapuna over the next seven days.
Forty-six teams will contest the open women's class. New Zealand has 15 crews in the men's competition and 14 in the women's.
In the pre-world regatta, which was sailed last week, Evans and Burling sailed in seven of nine races - winning two and finishing in the top five in the other five.
Burling said they elected not to do the last two races in order to stay "fresh".
Some crews from last year's world championships had returned and the pair would be keeping an eye on fellow New Zealanders Simon Cooke and Scott Illingworth, who finished second to them in the world championships.
"We have got as good a chance as anyone," Burling said.
The forecast for today and tomorrow is for moderate southerlies of 15-20 knots although light winds have been predicted for the rest of the week. Burling said they were comfortable over a range conditions so not too fussed about what the wind gods deliver.
Evans and Burling have been sailing together for more than a year and are looking to move into the Olympic 470 class.
International crews to watch for are Argentinians Sebastian Peribrusa and Santiago Masseroni and Australians Sam Kivell and Max Taylor who finished first and second in the youth world championships.
Daniel Wilcox and Matthew Jones finished fourth at the New Zealand selection trials series where they won three races. Eligible to sail for New Zealand or Spain, they chose to represent Spain, where they have both been living due to their parents' involvement with the America's Cup. Wilcox's father Hamish is in Luna Rossa's weather team and Jones' father Murray is part of Alinghi's sailing team and rig design team.
In the women's competition New Zealand's Sarah Bilkey and Rosie Sargisson beat fellow Kiwis Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie to win the pre-worlds regatta.
Aleh, whose name is more familiar with the Laser Radial, teamed up with Powrie who is also a Laser Radial sailor for the regatta.
"The 420 is a fun boat, and with such big fleets in NZ the racing is great," Aleh said.
"I am really enjoying the 420, and it's even better as I am sailing with another Radial sailor, so we tend to think more alike and are not afraid of working hard.
"After the Radial, the 420 is more of a thinking boat and is a bit less physical."
BIG DAY
* 420 Open World Champs, today. Racing starts each day at noon.
* Highest ranked NZ men Carl Evans/Peter Burling Simon Cooke/Scott Illingworth Rowan Swanson/Bruce Kennedy Paul Snow-Hansen/Chris Dawson
* Highest-ranked NZ women Sarah Bilkey/Rosie SargissonJo Aleh/Olivia Powrie