The Royal Irish Yacht Club's Saskia Tidey from Dun Laoghaire leads the 'Ready Steady Tokyo' regatta competing for Team GBR in Japan where Irish team results to date are mixed.
A day of light wind saw a slightly disrupted race schedule on Day 2 in the official test event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition.
But, after a short postponement, all fleets managed to get out onto the water and complete at least one race each, with four days remaining to sail the rest of the series.
Compared to yesterday’s strong breeze and big waves, conditions today were quite different and required sailors to adapt in order to maintain consistency.
One team which has done this very well is the pairing of Charlotte Dobson and Tidey (GBR) in the 49erFX fleet.
Their lowest result out of five races so far is a fourth, with two second places today to add to yesterday’s two wins.
And the duo are unsurprisingly very satisfied with how they have managed the conditions so far.
“Today was lighter than yesterday with around 10 knots,” explained Tidey.
“We were on the Kamakura course today and we had quite a left-handed racetrack to start with; we luckily got into the second race before it switched around to sea breeze.
“Today the sea state was a lot flatter – we had a bit of swell coming in, but nothing like yesterday.
“Yesterday was more about boat-handling and keeping the boat moving through the water.”
On their impressive start to Ready Steady Tokyo, which sees them lead by six points after five races, Tidey added, “We’re thrilled – it’s the way anyone would hope to start a regatta.
“We’ve got a long week ahead; we just have to keep our heads and keep going.”
Behind them in second are Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze (BRA), with Helene Naess & Marie Rønningen (NOR) moving into the top three. Both teams picked up a race win and a fifth place today.
Former Rio team-mate Annalise Murphy and Katie Tingle now competing against Tidey in the 49erFX are 21st in the 23-boat fleet.
Maria Erdi (HUN) keeps her lead in the Laser Radial fleet, despite finishing 35th in the only race of the day, which now becomes her discard.
Nearest challengers Marit Bouwmeester (NED) and Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) also recorded results out of the top 10, coming 23rd and 14th respectively.
Viktorija Andrulyte (LTU) secured the victory in that solitary race.
Unusually, Ireland has been permitted two Radials in the event and Aoife Hopkins is 26th and Aisling Keller is 29th in the 40-boat fleet after three races sailed.
Finn Lynch is 13th
There was only one race sailed in the Laser fleet, too, with Chris Barnard (USA) claiming the win.
Finn Lynch, of Dun Laoghaire, has moved up to 13th overall in the Laser class after scoring a a six in race three.
Fleet leader Sam Meech (NZL) is one point ahead of new top-three entry Hermann Tomasgaard (NOR), with Jean Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) finishing 25th but discarding that to keep third.
The 49er fleet also managed to sail two races despite heading out later, which has changed the look of the top three.
Leading the way now are Lukasz Przybytek & Pawel Kolodzinski (POL) who, although they are yet to win a race so far, have notched some fairly consistent results.
Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (NZL) relinquish their opening-day lead after finishing 13th (discarded) and ninth today, with Benjamin Bildstein & David Hussl (AUT) entering the top three.
Today’s race wins went to Mathieu Frei & Noe Delpech (FRA) and Mads Emil Stephensen Lübeck & Nikolaj Hoffmann Buhl (DEN).
Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove are 20th from 21 in that class.
Racing continues tomorrow, with all fleets departing at around 12:00 local time. All are scheduled to sail three races, apart from the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 fleets, which will sail four.