Ben Ainslie roared into prime contention for a third gold medal today by winning the opening race on the third day of the Finn class competition.

The double Olympic champion had been lying in second place overnight but showed his quality by mastering the windy conditions on the waters at Qingdao.

Britain's Yngling trio of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson are also leading the way three days into their competition and produced a solid fourth-place finish in their first race of the day.

It was less plain sailing for two further British medal hopes, however, as Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes lost the overall lead in the 49er class. Disappointing finishes of 14th and 15th in this morning's races saw them drop back to 5th position.

Elsewhere, Bryony Shaw opened up with fourth place in the first race on the opening day of the women's windsurfer RS:X class while Nick Dempsey was 11th in the men's event.

Meanwhile, Britain's Charlotte Kerwood, at 21 the youngest competitor in her event, was eliminated at the qualifying stage of the women's trap at the Beijing Shooting Range today.