Boardsailing: Ashley, Kendall near the pace at world champs

New Zealander Tom Ashley is second and compatriot Barbara Kendall third two days into windsurfing's inaugural RS:X World Championships.

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

The men's fleet has been split into four divisions for the series.

They have up to six days of racing before the final medal race on Saturday.

Ashley and Dutchmen Casper Bouman and Joeri Van Dijk all sit on three points, each counting three wins and discarding one race score.

Kendall also made a solid start in her return to competition after focusing on fitness and training.

She recorded an 11th and a fifth on the first day of qualifiers, improving on day two with a win and a third.

Dropping the worst of those, her points total sits at nine, equal to Sensini of Italy in fourth place.

Polish sailor Zofia Klepacka holds the lead in the women's division, with Marina Alabau Neira of Spain in second.

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

John-Paul Tobin has had consistent top-six finishes, but a disqualification thanks to a changed sail number issue is discarded from his points score, so he lies 23rd overall.

- NZPA