Boardsailing: Ashley adds more wins at worlds

New Zealand boardsailer Tom Ashley is still lying second, three days into the RS:X World Championships, while compatriot Barbara Kendall has slipped off the pace a little.

Fields of 164 men and 80 women are at Lake Garda, Italy, for the first world championships for the new Olympic wind surfer, the Neil Pryde RS:X.

Ashley's two latest wins put him on equal points with Casper Bouman, who holds first place in the men's division.

" My speed is great and I made a few good tactical calls to keep me at the front of the fleet," he said.

JP Tobin is currently in 19th, making the top 40 cut for the men's gold fleet.

A rest day is scheduled tonight then the top 40 men will resume racing in a gold fleet. After three days of competition the top 10 sail a final medal race.

Despite Kendall's slip from 3rd to 11th on the leaderboard, she easily makes the women's gold fleet. Both Hayley Thom and Steffanie Williams also made the top half of the 80-strong women's fleet, sitting 38th and 39th respectively.

Alabau Neira of Spain leads the women's division.

New Zealand has five sailors in both the men's and women's divisions.

Racing resumes Wednesday night (NZ time).

New Zealand placings after six races:

Men:

2 Tom Ashley
19 JP Tobin
98 Michael Lichtwark
128 Nick Lichtwark
132 Antonio Cozzolino

Women:

11 Barbara Kendall
38 Hayley Thom
39 Steffanie Williams
56 Kate Ellingham
62 Justina Sellers

- NZPA