DORSET’S Olympic sailor Chris Draper is among seven British crews fighting for a world title in the Bahamas this week.

Athens bronze medallist Draper, of Crossways, near Dorchester and sailing partner Peter Greenhalgh are looking for a podium finish at tomorrow’s medal race in the Seiko 49er World Championship.

The pair came out on top at the pre-Worlds training regatta last month.

They hope to continue their run of triumphs since returning to Olympic-class sailing last year, which saw them come fifth in their debut event in Hyeres last April and fourth at both the Expert Olympic Garda 2009 event in Italy and the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Holland.

But the battle to emerge Britain’s best in the Bahamas will be almost as tough as the world title hunt itself.

Fellow British Skiff sailors John Pink and Rick Peacock aim to follow up their 2009 Worlds silver with another podium spot, while 2007 World Champions Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes seek to return to the top three after coming fourth at last year’s Worlds.

Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith, competing in their third event back since reforming their partnership will also hope to add to the silver they won at the European Championships in September.

Elsewhere, Britain’s development squad teams, Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign, Richard Mason and Tom Peel and Dave Evans with new crew Ed Powys will be looking to make their mark amongst the top names in the fleet.

With a British team on the podium at the every 49er Worlds since 2002, and with a strong seven boat Skandia Team GBR squad at the Caribbean venue for the 2010 edition, hopes are high for some silverware to start the new year with.

Racing at the Seiko 49er World Championship got underway in the Bahamas on Monday with the medal race scheduled for tomorrow.

TWO-TIME World Champion Draper, 31, came third at the Athen’s Olympics with his former sailing partner Simon Hiscocks of Portland, but the pair narrowly missed out on British selection for last summer’s Beijing Games.

Their training partners Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes, who beat them in the selection process, finished ninth at last year’s Olympic sailing events in Qingdao.

Greenhalgh, 33, was one of the British pioneers in the 49er when it was first introduced as an Olympic class.

Draper and Greenhalgh decided to combine their expertise and experience to start a fresh campaign for 2012.

THE 49er is one of the most exhilarating of all of the Olympic Classes, providing exciting racing over short courses.

With a huge sail area - consisting of mainsail, jib and asymmetric spinnaker, twin trapezes and an ultra light hull it can reach up to 30 knots in speed.

The boat requires the crew to have a high level of agility and athleticism as they must make rapid, and often acrobatic, movements.