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YNZ high performance manager Jez Fanstone has highlighted peter burling and blair tukes diligence.
"It is testament to all the hard work they have done over three and a half years in every aspect of the sport."
The pair's success reflects comments that Fanstone, who is also their coach, made before the regatta.
"The detail they put into the programme and the way they operate is world-class. They have a good mix of skills. Pete is an engineer and is detailed on the equipment. Blair is a bit more outgoing so drives communication."
Coach of the men's 470, Hamish Willcox, also believes the venue (including The Nothe course) suits New Zealand sailors: "It's just a case of good sailors adjusting. This is the best venue sailing's dialled up at a Games since 1992. There is a great range of conditions they need to adapt to, and generally can, because many of them have sailed off the East Coast Bays where they strike any type of condition one day to the next. Weymouth gets swept by fronts and low pressures, then it'll be sunny, before blowing its tits off and raining.
"This course is more familiar for New Zealanders than for any sailor from another continent. If you come from the Mediterranean, or North or South America, you end up with a continental climate where you're dictated to by the sea breeze. Here, England is an island like New Zealand with what can be a fast-changing weather system."
Yachting New Zealand Olympic director Jez Fanstone catches himself as he blurts out the words.
"Peter is going to his second Olympics at 21 - that's just mad, actually," he said disbelievingly.
"The detail they put into the programme and the way they are operating now is world-class," said Fanstone, who is also their coach. "They have a good mix of skills. Pete is an engineer and is really detailed on the equipment. Blair is a bit more outgoing so drives communication, which is really important in a two-person boat. And they get on really well ... It's a really good package."
Coach Nathan Handley hopes the training hours Kiwi 470 sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have spent in match racing scenarios against the New Zealand men's crew pay dividends in tonight's mouth-watering Olympic gold medal race. "We're just keeping everything the same, with the same routines. Not a lot has changed. They're rapt to have won a medal but we came here to win gold and the job's not done."
For the first time since Sydney 2000, New Zealand will compete in the sailing at the Paralympic Games.
Three sailors have been named to the New Zealand team to compete in London, with Tim Dempsey and Jan Apel to sail together in the two person keelboat (SCUD 18) event and Paul Francis to sail in the one person keelboat (2.4mR) event.
For all three sailors, this will be their first time at the Paralympic Games while Apel also becomes the first female sailor to compete for New Zealand at a Paralympics.
"To have sailors selected to compete at this pinnacle level of the sport again comes after years of effort from the sailors, coaches and their support networks," said Robert Hielkema, Yachting New Zealand's Paralympic sailing manager.
"The learning from this process is helping to shape the future for the sport in New Zealand and Yachting New Zealand's programmes too in becoming more inclusive for sailors with a disability."
