Bright Brits have wind in their sails

Weather conditions improve for Sydney's sailors

BBC Sport's sailing correspondent Richard Simmonds reports from Sydney after Wednesday's racing

After four days of competition and the brightest day yet for Britain, pre-start optimism remains for our sailing athletes.

Britain's brightest day on the water sees Shirley Robertson leading the Europe class after two races.

She is joined in the roll of honour by Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield who are fourth in the 470 after two races and Ben Ainslie who scored a race win in the second Laser race.

Ainslie needed that after trailing a desperately disappointing 23rd in his first race.

Shirley Robertson took lead in the Euro class

Our Tornado team who are lying third overall after four of their eleven races were not scheduled to race on Wednesday.

We should take great encouragement from the day as whilst our sailors have proved themselves on the International stage many times before the Olympic Games is a new cauldron of intensity.

Getting your first good result is an important moment, however good the training is to cope with adversity (and our sailors have had plenty of that sort of training).

Improved conditions

We should also be encouraged by the improving sailing conditions on Sydney Harbour, a weather front bringing with it Southerly winds; more settled conditions than those we have seen earlier in the week.

Some competitors are no doubt banking on the lottery conditions returning as in a lottery everyone has a chance.

We came into these Games with great medal potential and after four days those expectations remain.

Sail boarders

Our sailboarders were never expected to make the podium so there is no surprise that they are some way off the lead.

They have both shown that they are not here just to make up the numbers, having each scored a second position.

In every other class though we are absolutely in the fight and two classes are yet to start a race.

Iain Percy in the Finn, seen by many as our best prospect for Gold, still manages to be good humoured and outwardly mellow as he waits for his first race.

Other competitors in the Finn class are pacing the pavements and exuding anxiety.