DYLAN Fletcher and Portland-based Stuart Bithell, the 2017 world champions, finished fifth in the 49er class at the Sailing World Championships after coming sixth in the medal race.

The pair failed to recover from a poor start in the early rounds.

Meanwhile, Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth claimed Great Britain’s second medal at the Sailing World Championships by winning bronze in the 49er FX class.

The medal comes less than a month since they brought home the same medal from the class European championships in Gydnia, Poland.

The pair, who only officially teamed up in April this year, went into the final race of the regatta in Aarhus, Denmark, in second, and halfway round the course looked set to defend their position from the front of the fleet.

But a huge squall hit the 10-boat fleet, sending the wind from a handful of knots to more than 18 in a matter of seconds, and capsizing the race leaders, Austria’s Tanja Frank and Lorena Abicht, in the process.

With the breeze swinging by more than 60 degrees and just two legs remaining of the five-leg course, Weguelin and Ainsworth suddenly found themselves scrapping it out in the middle of the pack.

With Frank and Abicht relegated to the back of the fleet, the Netherlands’ Annamiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz shot into second, which was enough to give them the overall victory.

The Austrian pair took silver, with Weguelin and Ainsworth finishing just three points behind them.

The British duo received their medals from Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, a keen sailor who regularly competes at international regattas.

“We’re really happy with how we sailed this week, and to finish it off with a medal is brilliant,” said Ainsworth, 29.

Weguelin and Ainsworth’s bronze adds to the bronze won by Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre in the women’s 470 on Thursday.

Their result also confirms Great Britain’s place in the 49er FX competition at Tokyo 2020.

Weymouth-based Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey finished ninth in the medal race to take tenth overall.