Hamish Pepper and Jim Tucker are putting together a good case for Olympic inclusion and are seventh overall after three days of racing at the Star world sailing championship off Hyeres, France.
New Zealand hasn't yet qualified a boat in the Star class at the Olympics, and Pepper and Tucker need to finish in the top four of nations not already qualified for London to qualify the boat. They finished eighth in the only race on the third day to move up to seventh overall but are just six points off fourth.
After two days of shifty weather at Hyeres, gusts of more than 20 knots battered the fleet. Nine boats didn't finish the race, with three breaking their masts, but the British crew of Lain Percy and Andrew Simpson prospered in the conditions to lead overall.
Pepper and Tucker paired up as late as October and have already shown good form. They finished fifth at the Princess Sofia regatta in Spain in March - they were leading the event until they received a controversial penalty in the final race - and were eighth at the prestigious Bicardi Cup in Miami.
The selectors might want to assess to their form at next month's Sail for Gold regatta at Weymouth if they qualify the boat at the world championships.
Fellow Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have already been selected for the New Zealand Olympic team and they made an excellent start to the 49er world championships off Zadar, Croatia, to sit fifth after the opening day of racing.
The pair claimed two seconds and a seventh to be second in the yellow fleet and fifth overall - the 74 boats have been split into three groups for the qualifying stages.
Burling and Tuke finished second at last year's world championships off Perth and are looking to go one better as they gear up for the Olympics.
Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski are also in the yellow fleet and recorded two fifths and an eighth to be 12th overall.
Andy Maloney remained sixth overall and the best of the Kiwis after eight qualifying races at the Laser world championship in Boltenhagen, Germany.
Maloney was fourth and 11th in the two races overnight (NZT). Sam Meech is in 21st but Andrew Murdoch, who has been confirmed for the Olympics, continues to struggle and is 28th overall.
