Belcher and Ryan among reigning champions seeking to defend titles at ISAF World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi

Australia’s Mat Belcher and Will Ryan will be seeking to continue their domination of the men's 470 class in Abu Dhabi ©ISAF

Australia’s Mat Belcher and Will Ryan begin as the overwhelming favourites to defend their International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Cup Final men’s 470 title, with the four-day event set to get underway in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city Abu Dhabi tomorrow.

The duo head into the event hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club fresh from having won the world title in the class after five days of competition in Haifa Bay, Israel, with Belcher triumphing at the event for the sixth successive year.

While Belcher and Ryan will be hoping to retain their title in the build-up towards the defence of their Olympic crown, the reigning women’s 470 champions Lara Vadlau and Jola Ogar will be hoping to continue their excellent form as they prepare to compete as a partnership for the first time at the Olympics.

Having teamed up after London 2012, following Ogar’s nationality from Polish to Austrian, the pair have proved the dominant force in the classification and were crowned world champions for the second consecutive year at Haifa Bay earlier this month.

The two 470 events are among eight classes set to take to the water in the World Cup Final, which will draw the prestigious annual series of for elite and professional sailors to a close.

"There is so much quality here and such a great deal at stake, and we look forward to some very exciting racing,” said Ahmed Thane Al Romaithi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club and vice-president of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation.

Eight classes are due to compete at the World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi ©ISAF

The Abu Dhabi Theatre is set to stage the Opening Ceremony of the World Cup Final tomorrow, with competition set to commence on Thursday (October 29).

Belgium's Evi Van Acker is among three further defending champions returning to Abu Dhabi, having triumphed in women’s laser radial event last year.

Meanwhile, Britain's Bryony Shaw will aim for a second successive gold medal in the women's RS:X class having been forced to settle for silver at last week’s World Windsurfing Championships in Mussanah, Oman.

While eight of the 10 classes which will feature at Rio 2016 are due to be in action, kiteboarding will also be held with Britain's Oliver Bridge seeking to repeat last year's vitory.

Miami in the United States and Hyères in France staged the opening two events of the series with Weymouth and Portland hosting the third competition, before the penultimate event took place in Qingdao, China, during September.