CHARLOTTE Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth admit to just being relieved to finally make their Olympic debuts as they got their 49erFX campaign underway in Rio yesterday.

Along with the 49er Men’s class, the 49erFXs were the last two sailing classes to get started at these Games, and one point it looked like they might be in for an even longer wait as they were held on shore as race officials waited for the breeze to build and change direction in Guanabara Bay.

When they did get going, Games first-timers Dobson and Ainsworth showed no sign of nerves at all, blitzing around the Aeroporto course to finish second.

In race two they remained consistently in the middle of the pack to cross the line in 11th.

With only two of their three scheduled races completed, the 49erFXs will now try to get four races in the bag today, and Dobson and Ainsworth know what they have to do.

Dobson, who lives in Weymouth, said: “Thank goodness we got to go racing, it’s been the longest build up ever!

“We had a good first race and then a bit more of a tough second race but I think all in all in Rio in those sorts of conditions you’ve got to take that for a day one. We will need a bit more consistency and we’re just trying to build a steady regatta.

Ainsworth, who also lives in Weymouth, continued: “It was definitely what we expected in Rio, some tricky conditions but exciting racing. There’s a long way to go and we are happy with the way we started. As soon as the breeze came in it was on to preparing ourselves as best we could and getting ready to fire.”

Dobson has campaigned for two previous Olympics in the single-handed Laser Radial class before switching to the new women’s 49erFX skiff class when it was introduced for Rio and teamed up with Ainsworth.

But she admits they have taken advantage of being the last class to start by getting into the full Olympic swing.

Dobson said: “As we were sitting out there waiting we were like ‘Are we Olympians yet?’ So far it’s been great fun and we’ve decided to take the approach of fully embracing the whole Olympic circus.

“It’s actually been really nice to be in the second week so we’ve watched our team-mates settle in and I think that’s been really good for us to watch the results.”

Erin Rafuse and Dannie Boyd (CAN) are the early leaders, home favourites, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA), are in second place with Sarah Steyaert and Aude Compan (FRA) in third.