Yachting: Team NZ stretch MedCup lead

Team New Zealand has consolidated its lead atop yachting's MedCup standings with a sixth and first placings from today's two races off Marseille.

With 21.5 points, NZL 380 is 16 points clear of American yacht Quantum on 37.5 with Argentina's Matador third on 44.5.

Leading early in the day's first race a wind shift saw the boat slip to sixth rounding the first mark and further missed wind shifts saw them drop to 10th before a strong finishing leg pulled them back up the leaderboard.

In contrast the second race, sailed in 16-19 knots, went to plan with NZL 380 leading from start to finish.

"It was the day for us to build on the points lead and go into the last day without too much pressure," team principal Grant Dalton said.

"For a while it looked like we would have a great day and then a small wind shift near the top mark on the first beat looked like it could turn it into a bad day.

"In the end, with a sixth and a first we consolidated our position on the leader board by increasing our overall lead to 16 points, four more than yesterday."

But Dalton cautioned: "there's no such thing as a comfortable lead. This is yacht racing and things happen."

- NZPA