Heiner triumphed in the opening race of the competition in France yesterday, with a second having to be abandoned due to a lack of wind.

"I was just trying to play the fleet, but the conditions were quite hard out there," he said.

"The left side was favoured for the first beat and after that, it was the right side,

"But it was really just about keeping the eyes out of the boat and checking the extreme boats on either side to see how they were going."

The Dutch sailor could only manage a seventh place in today’s opening race, but bounced back by finishing as the runner-up in the second.

It saw him move on to 10 points for the Championships.

He lies five points clear of second place Edward Wright, with the British sailor having won the second race, as well as recording results of fifth and ninth.

The duo are some way clear of third placed Facundo Olezza, with the Argentinian lying on a total of 41 points to date.

Switzerland’s Nils Theuninck and Britain’s Henry Wetherell have 44 and 46 points respectively.

Defending champion Jonathan Lobert is down in sixth, a further point adrift.

A third race was not contested today.

Sailors have sought to promote the Fnn classes place on the Olympic sailing programme for Paris 2024. 

World Sailing are reassessing its place, along with the men’s and women’s 470 and RSX classes.

Laser and laser radial classes have been confirmed for Paris 2024, along with the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 competitions.