Enoshima, located around 60 kilometres south of the Japanese capital, will welcome 184 athletes from 30 nations for the World Championships, which conclude on Friday (August 9).

The event offers those sailors who have not already secured an Olympic berth the chance to qualify for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan of Australia, ranked number one in the world, have already booked a spot at Tokyo 2020 and will be hoping to regain the world title from the French duo of Kevin Peponnet and Jeremie Mion.

The French pair arrive in Enoshima as the defending champions but will be wary of the threat posed by their Australian rivals.

Sweden's Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergström, who have finished inside the top four at 13 of the 16 events they have competed at, could also challenge.

A total of eight Japanese teams are in contention for a place at Tokyo 2020.

France's Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz will be among the favourites in the women's event having won the European title earlier this year.

Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntrye of Britain are the world's top-ranked team and will be aiming to lay down a marker prior to next year's Olympic competition at the same venue.