EXHILARATING racing on the second day of the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta saw Brits topping the leaderboard at the major world-class event.

Weymouth’s Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark are top of the women’s 470 class, triple gold medal legend Ben Ainslie is leading the Finn heavyweight dinghy event and Portland Paralympians John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas are forefront in the Sonar fleet.

Yesterday’s 18-knot wind conditions made up for a lack of breeze on the first day of racing, which saw the Laser Radial’s waiting ashore until 5pm before being sent afloat.

This year’s Skandia Sail for Gold has attracted 1,050 sailors, in 740 boats, from 62 nations to borough waters, with many national teams using the event as a crucial component of their selection process.

After claiming a silver medal in Hyeres the new 470 team of Mills, of Rodwell, and Clark, of Wyke Regis, are hoping to continue their ascent on home waters in their third major regatta together.

Mills, 22, said: “Skandia Sail for Gold is the biggest event of the year for us so far, it’s really where we need to show what we can do.

“It’s been a good start – we didn’t want any shockers on the first couple of days and we’ve achieved that.

“We sailed pretty well today, which was nice in the breeze to show that we can sail against the fast girls as well so we’re pretty happy.”

She added: “We’ve worked pretty hard on our windier weather set-up and style and we’ve come a long way in the last three weeks – obviously there’s lots more to come but I think where we are is a good place. If we race well then we should hang in there with the best of them hopefully.”

Clark said: “The first race was actually quite tricky – we went out there thinking we were going to have a really breezy day but actually the first race was really patchy and was really a shifts race, not a boat speed race.

“Then the last race was a bit more simple and a bit more straightforward.

“We want to do well, we want to sail well and sail to our best and that’s what we’re putting pressure on ourselves to do and we think if we do that then everything else will fall into place.

“But there’s a good atmosphere at the academy, it’s sunny, the event looks pretty smart with all the branding.”

Other top local contenders racing at this week’s event include Weymouth’s Laser sailor Paul Goodison, windsurfers Bryony Shaw and Nick Dempsey, Portland 470 men’s duo Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell and Finn sailor Giles Scott.

With even stronger winds forecast for today the action-packed racing is set to continue.

For the latest results visit the website skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk

* laura.kitching@dorsetecho.co.uk