Sean Herbert has carried his strong long-distance form into the WingFoil Racing World Cup in Sardinia, retaining the leader's yellow bib and booking his place in the Gold Fleet after the second day of racing.
The New Zealander led the men's standings after an opening day built around four long-distance races, and he carried that consistency straight through the next phase of qualifying.
Herbert produced three race wins and two second placings from the first five races of Day 2, before a crash forced him to record a DNC in the sixth and final race.
Despite the setback, he remains on top of the overall standings, holding a two-point advantage over Italy's Alessandro Tomasi, who also enjoyed a strong day with top-two finishes in all but one race.
The 61-strong men's fleet was split into Yellow and Blue groups for two sessions of high-speed racing, with only the top 25 overall progressing to the Gold Fleet and remaining in contention for the medal series.
Conditions were good again, with the breeze building from around 14 knots to approximately 20 knots as the afternoon wore on.
Herbert's New Zealand teammate Kosta Gladiadis also secured his place in the Gold Fleet, finishing the day 14th overall.
Italy's Francesco Cappuzzo was another standout performer, moving into third overall after a 1-2-1 sequence in his second session.
Youth World Champion Ernesto de Amicis also impressed, combining two third placings with a race win to climb to sixth overall.
In the women's fleet, Italy's Maddalena Spanu made the most of the conditions to take three race wins, closing the gap on overnight leader Vaina Picot.
Gold Fleet racing gets underway next, with the following two days set to determine who earns a place in the medal race.
