New Zealand Olympians Bruce Kendall and Aaron McIntosh have put a long-time windsurfing rivalry aside to combine impressively in the Tornado class at the Sail Melbourne International Regatta.
The duo are sitting third in the latest incarnation of their illustrious yachting careers with five races remaining in Port Phillip Bay.
They achieved their best result so far, winning the fifth race yesterday to tally 14 points, still well adrift of Australian leaders Darren Bundock and Josh Fugill, who was called up to crew after Glenn Ashby broke three bones in his right foot getting out of his craft on Tuesday.
The locals have won four of the six races to tally six points, a relatively commanding lead over Britain's pair Leigh McMillan and Will Howden, ranked No.4 in the world, hold second placing on 10.
Sara Winther is also in contention in a tightly contested Laser Radial division where only four points separate the eighth placed New Zealand from Australian Krystal Weir who lead with five races to complete on 19 points.
Boardsailer Jon-Paul Tobin, the heir apparent to McIntosh and Kendall is third in the RS:X, formerly Mistral, class on a countback from Dutchman Joeri Van Dijk. Both are locked on 17 points while Van Dijk's compatriot Caspar Bouman is the runaway leader on just five after winning all but one of the six races.
Tobin's teammate David Robertson is fourth on 22.
In the 470 class New Zealand's only representatives Geoffrey Woolley and Mark Overington are fourth on 22, 15 points behind Australians polesitters Matthew Belcher and Nick Behrens.
Skipper Scott Kennedy is struggling to make headway in the 49ers class after nine of 15 races and sits fourth on 38.50 points, 1-1/2 points clear of fellow Kiwi Jake Bartrom in fifth.
Japan's Kenji Todoroki leads with 11 points.
The regatta ends on Saturday.
- NZPA
