Maloney and Meech lead the way in 49erFX world champs

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech brushed aside two days of waiting around to take an early lead at the 49erFX world championships in Portugal.

Racing wasn’t possible on the first two days of the world championships as fog and light winds hit Porto. The sailors spent plenty of time waiting for the fog to clear on day three as well but they finally got out on the water on Thursday (NZ time).

Only two of the four scheduled races were possible in the women’s 49erFX fleet, with Olympic silver medallists Maloney and Meech posting a third and a first to sit one point ahead of the German combination of Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz.

Fellow Kiwis Erica Dawson and Kate Stewart started well with a fourth in the first race but backed it up with a 30th and are 33rd overall.

‘‘The delays were long but I guess it’s part of our sport,’’ Meech said.

’’But after two days of not sailing, it felt really good to get back on the water and into some racing.’’

The men’s 49er fleet has a distinctly different look to it than previous years without Peter Burling and Blair Tuke and Australians Nathan Outeridge and Iain Jensen. Those two combinations have won seven of the past eight world titles, with Burling and Tuke winning the last four.

Josh Porebski and Trent Rippey are New Zealand’s top 49er combination in the absence of Burling and Tuke, who are preparing for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, and the Kiwis lie seventh after the first day.

They finished eighth, third and fourth in the day’s three races and are only six points behind the leaders, James Peters and Fynn Sterritt from Great Britain.