Defending champions enjoy successful opening day at ISAF World Cup Final

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan continued their supreme run of form by topping the men's 470 standings ©Getty Images

Australian duo Mat Belcher and Will Ryan began the defence of their International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Cup title in commanding fashion as they finished first and second in the opening two races of the men’s 470 class in Abu Dhabi today.

Belcher and Ryan, who arrived at the event having picked up their third straight World Championships crown earlier this month, did not have it all their own way as they had to come from behind to take victory in the first race of the day.

They eventually finished nearly half-a-minute ahead of nearest challengers, Austria's Matthias Schmid and Florian Reichstädter, before they were second to Americans Stuart McNay and David Hughes in race two.

The results ensure they top the leaderboard after the first day, a single point in front of McNay and Hughes.

The defending champions were largely dominant across the respective classes, with Britain's Bryony Shaw leading the way in the women’s RS:X class.

The 2014 champion won two races, claiming second in the other, to end the opening day at the summit of the overall standings, narrowly ahead of Italy's Flavia Tartaglini.

“It was great to get some speed in the wind but still there was pressure to not get stuck in the light winds,” European gold medallist Shaw said.

“I feel like I had a good day's sailing today.

“I'm here to try and win the gold medal so it's great to already be ahead.”

Britain's Bryony Shaw was another defending ISAF World Cup Final champion to enjoy a successful first day in Abu Dhabi — Britain's Bryony Shaw was among the defending ISAF World Cup Final champion to enjoy a successful first day at this year's event in Abu Dhabi ©Getty Images

Australian Tom Burton placed first and second in the laser class, with five-times Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt his nearest challenger as the Brazilian clinched two third-place results.

Women’s 470 competitors Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar of Austria subverted the trend of defending champions enjoying a successful day as, although they began with a race victory, they were disqualified in race two and are currently sit fourth on the overall leaderboard.

China’s Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka, winners of the ISAF World Cup event in Qingdao, are the leaders in the class, with Britain's London 2012 silver medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark also in contention.

Elsewhere, Polish pair Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki head the men’s 49er standings thanks to two second place finishes, which gives them a two-point lead over ISAF World Cup Miami victors Nico Delle-Karth and Nikolaus Resch of Austria.

Britain’s Tom Squires and Byron Kokkalanis of Greece, silver medallists at the World Cup final last year, are deadlocked at the summit of the men’s RS:X leaderboard on four points each.

Nearly 150 competitors from 37 countries have descended on Abu Dhabi for the season-ending finale, which continues tomorrow.