Tauranga sailor Thomas Saunders has made the best start in the NZL Sailing Team men with an 11th in the opening race of the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander, on the northern coast of Spain.

The 22-year-old Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club sailor followed up the 11th placing with a fifth place to lie 15th overall in the highly competitive fleet for the men's Lasers.

Racing started in the single handed Laser and Radial classes at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander on the northern coast of Spain. Image: Thomas Saunders by Jesus Renedo/Sailing Energy

Fellow sailor Sam Meech, also from Tauranga, has opened the series in similar fashion with a 12th and sixth placing and lies just two places behind Saunders in 17th overall.

Andy Maloney, from Murrays Bay Sailing Club, recorded an 18th and a 10th to hold 35th overall.

Mike Bullot, rounding out the kiwi men's contingent, placed 23rd and 11th to lie 43rd at the end of day one.

In the women's Laser Radial, Sara Winther, New Zealand's 2012 Olympic representative in the class, made a solid start with a seventh in race one. She went on to place 19th in race two and lies 20th overall.

Susannah Pyatt is close behind in 23rd, an 11th in race two her best result. And 2014 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team sailor Ali Nightingale is in 76th.

2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, Santander, Spain New Zealand's Current Standings Laser

(Men's single-handed dinghy / 147 boats)

15thThomas Saunders (11, 5)

17th Sam Meech (12, 6)

35th Andy Maloney (18, 10)

43rd Mike Bullot (23, 11)

Laser

(Women's single-handed dinghy / 120 boats)

20thSara Winther (7, 19)

23rd Susannah Pyatt (18, 11)

76th Ali Nightingale (19, 57)

Men's RS:X

Windsurfing – Racing starts Saturday

Jon-Paul Tobin

Women's RS:X

Windsurfing – Racing starts Saturday

Natalia Kosinska

Women's 470

(double-handed dinghy) – Racing starts Sunday

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie

Men's 470

(double-handed dinghy) – Racing starts Sunday

Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox

49er Skiff – Racing starts Monday

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson

49erFX Skiff - Racing starts Monday

Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland

Nacra 17 (mixed multihull) - Racing starts Monday

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders

Finn (men's heavy-weight dinghy) - Racing starts Monday

Andrew Murdoch Josh Junior Karl Purdie

Support and Coaching: Jez Fanstone , Nathan Handley, Mark Howard, Dave Robertson, Ian Neely , John Cutler, Hamish Willcox, Will Howden, Peter Evans, Grant Beck, Louise Johnson, Rebecca van Weerd