It may be a home regatta, but the conditions expected off Takapuna for the Laser Radial World Championships may not favour local hope Jo Aleh.
The regatta, which starts today, will be the third world championships to be hosted by the Takapuna Boating Club this year.
Number one
in the ISAF world rankings, Aleh is one of the favourites to collect the world title on her home turf. But as she favours light air conditions, the typically shifty winds on the Hauraki Gulf may mean her advantage is slight.
Aleh is hoping for varied conditions this week to provide a good leveller for the 119-strong fleet, but admitted some light days would help her cause.
While there is no knowing what the Auckland weather will throw up, one thing is for certain - with a number one ranking, Aleh won't be able to "fly under the radar" any longer. But the 21-year-old is quick to dismiss her standing in the rankings.
"It's quite weird the whole ranking thing - you wake up in the morning and check the website and I just happened to be number one. You don't win anything to get it," she said.
Aleh had an impressive 2007. The West Aucklander was placed in the top 10 in every international event she competed in, including a second placing at the pre-Olympic regatta in Qingdao. Her performances were enough to secure her an early Olympic nomination from the Yachting New Zealand selectors.
Aleh said having already sealed her place in Beijing takes a lot of weight off her shoulders.
She is approaching this world champs more as an opportunity to train against the world's best. "The Olympics is the big regatta this year, this is just practice," she said.
American Anna Tunnicliffe is another feeling relaxed about the regatta given she has already booked a place at the Olympics. With 20 nations vying for the six spots still up for grabs at the Olympics the regatta is expected to be hugely competitive.
"A lot of people have this as their trials or they're trying to qualify their country still but I can just go out and sail and have fun," Tunnicliffe said.
The regatta wraps up on Thursday with two races scheduled for each day.
