But the Dutch athlete will have a challenge on his hands in the form of Louis Giard, who has been the most consistently successful male windsurfer this season.

The Frenchman won gold at the World Cup Series events in Miami and Hyeres and took silver at the final in Santander.

He is also the 2017 European champion and won gold at the Aarhus 2018 Test Event in August in a competitive field.

The Dutch have another contender in the up and coming talent of Kiran Badloe, a training partner of the double Olympic champion, who won gold at the World Cup Series Final in Santander.

Others likely to be in the medal mix include Shahar Zubari, Israel’s Beijing 2008 bronze medallist, Makoto Tomizawa, the Japanese Tokyo 2020 hopeful, Girard’s compatriot Pierre Le Coq, the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, and Poland’s 2012 and defending world champion Piotr Myszka.

Defending women’s champion Malgorzata Bialecka will lead what is likely to be a strong Polish showing along with Zofia Noceti Kelpacka, bronze medallist at London 2012 and European champion this year.

Maja Dziarnowska is another strong Polish competitor with World Cup honours to her name.

But it is Russia's 21-year-old Stefania Elfutina, Youth Sailing World Championships winner in 2014 and 2015 and Rio 2016 bronze medallist, who is seen as the favourite in Championships that have been contested on RS:X boards since 2006.

China’s Rio 2016 silver medallist Peina Chen may have something to say about that in what will be only her second competitive outing since last summer, the other being the World Cup final in Santander where she finished fifth.

Another Chinese competitor, Yunxiu Lu, has been a more consistent performer this year, having won gold at the World Cup Series event in Miami at the turn of the year before finishing second in the World Cup final.

Others to watch are Marina Alabau, Spain’s London 2012 Olympic gold medallist, Patricia Freitas of Brazil, this year’s World Cup Final winner, and London 2012 silver medallist Tuuli Petaja of Finland.