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Luke O'Connell wants to improve by only one position from his result at the 2015 OK Dingy world championships and if he can do that he will add a world title to his collection.
The 30-year-old from the Worser Bay Boating Club was second behind fellow Kiwi Matt Stechmann two years ago in Melbourne and has his eye on the top spot at this month's world championships in Barbados.
"It's always the goal to come away with the win," he said. "Definitely top five. There are a few Kiwis who can win it."
New Zealand has a good history in OK Dinghy sailing with Clive Roberts (1973), Peter Lester (1977), Richard Dodson (1982), Leith Armit (1983, 90, 94), Greg Wilcox (2002), Karl Purdie (2008, 10) and Stechmann (2014) all winning world titles.
There will be about 20 Kiwis on the startline in Barbados, mixing it with more than 55 sailors from Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, Poland, Australia and the UK. The conditions should suit many of the New Zealand contingent, with the breeze expected to be around 15-20 knots.
The off-water environment in the Caribbean should also be favourable, with the OK Dinghy renowned for its social element.
"It's a world title so it's as serious as OK Dinghy gets, which is not that serious," said Wakatere commodore Simon Probert, who is also competing. "The fact it's in Barbados is a big carrot for me. As soon as I heard three years ago it was going there I put it in my diary."
O'Connell has won three of the last four national titles and is expected to be joined near the front of the fleet by the likes of Steve McDowell and Mark Perrow. Former world No 1 Greg Wilcox, who now lives in Germany, is also competing but current national champion Ben Morrison is absent because of business commitment, as is Stechmann who works for French America's Cup outfit Groupama.
O'Connell, who previously sailed a Laser, was attracted to the OK Dinghy class by the social element and the ability to modify the boats and sails.
"I'm an engineer so I like to tinker with things and you can't do that with a Laser," he said.
