Bangor native Kevin Mahaney’s crew solidified its international standing in the last major race before the Summer Olympic Trials by winning the soling class world championship in Cadiz, Spain, on Sunday.

The soling class is the longest and heaviest of the Olympic sailing classes.

Mahaney and crew – Jim Brady of Annapolis, Md., and Doug Kern from Austin, Texas – topped a team from Denmark that won the bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympic games. Third was Germany, the ’88 gold medalist.

“We’ve dominated in our races this year, so if we get there (1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain), we’d be a favorite to win it,” said Mahaney of his team’s Olympic chances.

The seven-day World Championships proved to be a major test for Mahaney’s team as it had to come from behind to win.

The championships were structured into four major rounds: an opening round where all 72 boats raced head-to-head against each other along a marked course, a round robin second round with the top six crews, the semifinals, and finally the finals.

Mahaney’s “Team Exxon” crew was sixth after the fleet race, but moved all the way up to first after the round robin was over. The crew then cruised through the semis and final.

The team will take a week off before traveling to Punta Gorda, Fla., to get in some practice before the U.S. Olympic Trials April 22.

The 11-day trials will feature three main rounds: a fleet race with nine crews, a triple round robin involving the top three teams after the fleet races, and a best-of-nine-races final to determine the single U.S. Olympic soling representative.