European champion Dylan Fletcher admitted he and Alain Sign could have hardly asked for more as they got their 49er campaign underway at the final ISAF Sailing World Cup of the season in Hyeres.
Fletcher and Sign, who claimed their maiden World Cup win in the south of France last year, recorded a victory and two third-place finishes from the first day of racing on their return to the regatta.
That put them in second place overall with the medal races scheduled for April 26 and Fletcher insisted he and Sign were happy with the start they had made in Hyeres.
“We certainly did ourselves pretty proud out there,” said Fletcher. “We had a good first race and won that one, and then had a couple more top threes so we’re really chuffed with how it went.
“It couldn’t really have gone much better. It was 10-14 knots, bit of chop, the sun was out and 40 boats on the racecourse made it pretty hectic, but it was great fun.”
Meanwhile in the 49erFX fleet Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth were also among the winners on the first day to place third overall.
In the Nacra 17, an event new to the Olympic programme for Rio 2016, Pippa Wilson and John Gimson and Ben Saxton and Hannah Diamond are second and third respectively.
Eilidh McIntyre battled a splinted finger with Sophie Weguelin to place third in the women’s 470 after the first two races while Luke Patience and Elliot Willis are 14th in the men’s.
Olympic silver medallist from London 2012 Nick Dempsey is tenth in the RS:X and Nick Thompson is the best British male in the Laser in 20th place after three races.
© Sportsbeat 2014