KEY POINTS:
New Zealand yachties are coping well with the light conditions which are plaguing Qingdao in the Pre-Olympic Regatta.
The venue, which will host next year's Olympics, has been troubled by light winds and strong tides which has made it difficult for organisers to get races under way in the 10-day regatta.
After two days of racing, three of the seven-strong New Zealand team are in the top three and a further two are in the top five.
Jo Aleh secured a third and a first in racing on Saturday to overtake Evi Van Acker (Belgium) and take the lead in the Laser Radial class. Aleh now has two wins from four races and a four-point lead over Van Acker.
Aleh (21) said her last two races were particularly trying with the tide at full strength running up the course which meant the upwind legs were short and the downwind legs were extremely long.
"I had another terrible start, but got clear well and sailed a good beat to round the top mark in fourth, then went round the top mark and just absolutely parked up in the tide," Aleh said.
"The rest of the fleet came round behind in a big line and blocked all the wind. I managed to not lose too much by the bottom, and rounded the bottom mark in seventh but managed to get back up and finish third.
"As for the second race my start was a little better ... once again I sailed a great beat to lead around the top mark, but got passed on the downwind leg, and was in second for most of the race, until I got into the lead at the last mark before the finish."
Tom Ashley is in second place in the men's RS:X just one point behind local sailor Yuan Guo Zhou. Ashley picked up a third and a second in his last two races and has finished in the top three in all four of his races.
Just one race was sailed in the Star class on Saturday where Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams placed second, improving their overall standing from fifth to third in the 17-boat fleet. Pepper and Williams are three points behind leaders Switzerland's Flavio Marazzi and Christoph Christen.
In the Laser, Andrew Murdoch improved from 13th place to fourth. He placed second and fourth.
Paul Goodison of Britain leads the Laser fleet.
In the 470s Carl Evans and Peter Burling remain in fifth place after securing a 16th and a third. Barbara Kendall is ninth in the women's RS:X and Dan Slater 18th in the Finn.
Former Team New Zealand helmsman Ben Ainslie (Britain) leads the Finn class with two firsts and a second.
