DAY One of the Volvo 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships delivered healthy results for British racers in Weymouth and Portland.

Portland-based Stuart Bithell and racing partner Dylan Fletcher sailed into sixth with four top-six results, including a race win, while Weymouth-based Charlotte Dobson posted four top-four finishes, including a first place, to claim fourth overall.

Speaking to the RYA website, Bithell said: “Day one of the Euros and Weymouth really delivered.

“We had lovely wind, beautiful waves and came away with a solid day.

“We’re certainly in the mix going into the rest of the week. It was like a washing machine out there, waves going everywhere, but we’re used to it. We’re expecting a bit more wind (today) so let’s see what happens.”

Dobson, meanwhile, spoke of the drama of seeing her 49erFX kite rip before the start of the opening race.

She said: “Day one was exciting. We ripped our kite just before the start of race one and had to re-rig, then we had to do a penalty turn on the start line, so it was definitely an eventful start to the regatta, but we managed to hustle well and ended up with three good races including a win.

“We’re pretty happy with that for what felt like far too stressful a day one.”

Racers enjoyed champagne conditions on an opening day blessed with wind, waves and sun.

More than 400 sailors are competing in the week-long regatta, which marks a crucial stage in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.