Kiwi duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are in a commanding position, heading into the penultimate day of the world 49er sailing championships in Auckland.
The four-time world champions sit second with five races left in the gold fleet.
Friday's races proved challenging for the 2016 Olympic champions, who had to settle for 11th, third and seventh in their three races.
Burling and Tuke trail Germans Erik Heil and Thomas Ploesel by nine points, but sit 23 points ahead of third-placed French duo Lucas Rual and Emile Amoros.
The day wasn't as successful for fellow Kiwis Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn, who slipped from sixth to eighth with 16th, 15th and 12th, when the top sailors from all three qualifying groups came together.
In the women's 49erFX, Kiwis Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are on the cusp of making the top 10, sitting in ninth - just inside the cut for the medal race.
They have a chance to solidify their top-10 status on Saturday.
