Yachting: Kiwis lead at world champs

Olympians Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have been overshadowed by training partners Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski at the sailing world champs. Photo / Getty

A Kiwi crew is leading after the first day of the 49er sailing world championships in France but it's not the one most expected.

Olympic silver medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are well placed in ninth in the 95-boat fleet after registering a fourth and seventh in the two races sailed today but they were overshadowed by training partners Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski, who won both races in their fleet in light winds to be first equal.

"Great start for us over in Marseille coming away with two firsts in the blue fleet,'' Hansen and Porebski said. "Early days yet but a good way to kick things off. Breeze looks pretty similar for tomorrow [with] 5-7 knots.''

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are 14th in the women's 49erFX class after a seventh and 10th and Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland are 38th. Maloney and Meech went into the regatta as the world's No 1-ranked crew in the new Olympic class.

"Stressful first day, as we realised we were not competing in the world championship for the greatest comebacks,'' Maloney and Meech said. "Starts are priority tomorrow. But you gotta be in it to win it, and there's plenty more sailing to come.''

The regatta is run over six days with the medals decided on Monday morning (NZT). Points are heavily weighted to the races towards the end of the regatta with the final race sailed in a tight, roped-off area.

Burling and Tuke are searching for a first world title - they have twice won silver at the world championships (2011 and 2012) to go with their Olympic silver - and hope to upstage Olympic champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, who have dominated the class in recent years.

The Australians, who haven't raced in the 49er since the Olympics because of their involvement with Artemis in the America's Cup, are well placed in sixth.