KEY POINTS:
World champion Alessandra Sensini and world number one Olga Maslivets will line up against New Zealand's triple Olympic medallist Barbara Kendall in the Sail Auckland regatta which starts off the Kohimarama yacht club today.
Sensini, from Italy, dominated the New Zealand RS:X windsurfing championships at Takapuna two weeks ago, beating Kendall, who placed second, and Maslivets (Ukr), who took third.
The Sail Auckland regatta takes place over the next four days and is an ISAF grade one event involving most of Yachting New Zealand's Olympic squad and a number of international competitors.
The women's RS:X fleet has around 20 entrants with representatives from nine countries, and 26 riders from six countries will contest the men's RS:X.
The Laser class has attracted the largest fleet, with 36 entrants from 10 countries.
Yachting NZ Olympic squad sailor Andrew Murdoch, who has a current ISAF world ranking of four, is in the line-up and will be looking for a strong performance.
Twenty women are entered in the Laser Radial and will sail in an open fleet. New Zealand's Jo Aleh is back in the Radial after her world champion stint in the 420 class. Aleh recently returned from the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta where she placed 12th in a strong Laser Radial fleet.
Among those lining up against her are world number three Krystal Weir (Aus), world number six Laura Baldwin (GBR) and world number 10 Sophie de Turckheim (Fra).
The 470 class will be a hotly contested struggle between predominantly New Zealand crews.
Geoff Woolley and Mark Overington came out on top in the national champs and will be looking for a repeat performance.
Pushing the pair will be Stephen and Phillip Keen of Christchurch and Tobias Etter and Felix Steiger (Sui), who placed second and third at the nationals. The 420 world championship duo of Carl Evans and Peter Burling are now trying their hand at the Olympic 470 class, this being their first major regatta after the nationals, where they placed fourth.
Racing will also take place in the Finn, the Tornado and the 420.
