IT was a high-scoring opening day of ISAF Sailing World Cup racing in Hyeres, with the some of the biggest names in the Olympic classes finding the light winds a tough test on the French Riviera.

Consistency was most definitely the key under the new 40-boat, invitational World Cup format, and Olympic silver medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark were among those in the British cohort to find that amid shifty winds which caught out some high flyers across the 10 Olympic and two Paralympic classes.

Mills and Clark are poised in third overall in the 470 Women’s event after the first day of five, with Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas also seeing a steady first day to sit in second after two races in the 2.4mR event.

The British Sailing Team’s John Robertson-Hannah Stodel-Steve Thomas were third, while Craig Wood-Steve Palmer-Liam Cattermole were third and fifth in the Paralympic Sonar class.

Mills has seen early season success with Clark, winning silver at the Miami World Cup regatta and bronze in Palma earlier this month, and described a testing opening day on the 470 Women’s racecourse.

Mills and Clark’s Podium Potential Squad team-mates Amy Seabright and Anna Carpenter also saw a pleasing start to their regatta, placing fifth overall after two races, while Sophie Weguelin-Eilidh McIntyre are 21st after a tough opening day.

Elsewhere, Giles Scott softened the pain of a 25th in his opening Finn race with a race win in the second to sit sixth overall, with Ed Wright scoring a third and a 30th to end his day in 12th.

Nick Dempsey is 11th in the RS:X men’s windsurfing, with Izzy Hamilton 16th in the women’s equivalent, while Ben Saxton-Nicola Groves are the top-placed British crew in the Nacra 17 multihull, 11th overall after the fleet managed just two of its scheduled three races.

In the 49er class, Podium Potential sailors James Peters and Fynn Sterritt, who only secured a qualifying berth for the regatta via the Princess Sofia Trophy earlier this month, saw the best day of the British crews. They are sixth overall after three races and were happy with their opening day’s efforts.

Alison Young is 12th after two races in the women’s Laser Radial event, 470 Men’s pairing Luke Patience-Elliot Willis started their regatta with a 14th and 18th to sit 15th overall, while Charlotte Dobson-Sophie Ainsworth endured a difficult opening day in the 49erFX, poised in 19th overall after their first three races.

Nick Thompson, Elliot Hanson and Alex Mills Barton are 23rd, 25th and 28th respectively in the Laser fleet after two races.

Racing continues today with the Paralympic classes competition running until Saturday and the Olympic classes medal races on Sunday.

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