Cheng takes lead in Laser Radial class at 2016 Sailing World Cup

The second day of the regatta continued at the St Kilda sailing precinct ©World Sailing

Singapore’s Colin Cheng claimed the leadership of the men’s Laser Radial class on the second day of competition at the 2016 Sailing World Cup after producing two fine races in Melbourne.

The 26-year-old, who had earned a Rio 2016 berth earlier this year, had suffered a difficult start to the regatta by finishing the opening race in 11th place but he put that result behind him to climb the standings.

He clinched victory in the first race of the day, backing up that result by earning a third place behind New Zealand’s Tom Saunders and Canada’s Lee Parkhill.

It saw Cheng to move onto seven points for the regatta due his highest score currently being discarded, with Saunders two points further back in second.

"This is a big year, we are putting a lot of effort into the Olympics,” Cheng said.

"It's always a balance trying not to burn out when I'm full time sailing.

“I'm pretty happy with my fitness, though it could always be better, and it's at a level I can purely focus on my sailing.”

Australia's Oliver Tweddell and Croatia's Josip Olujic are battling for the Finn class lead ©World Sailing

New Zealand’s Susannah Pyatt took over as the women’s Laser Radial leader after winning both races on the day to move onto a total of five points, although she is only top of the standings having won more races than home favourite Ashley Stoddart, who has the same total score.

Belarusian Tatiana Drozdovskaya, who had shared the lead with Stoddart yesterday, dropped to third place with six points.

The 470 classes are still dominated by Australian sailors as Carrie Smith and Jamie Ryan extended their lead in the women’s fleet to four points, having won each of the four races so far to move onto a total of three for the regatta.

Their compatriots Alex and Patrick Conway have achieved the same feat in the men’s event, with fellow Australians Thomas Klemens and Timothy Hannah lying second on seven points.

David Gilmour and Rhys Mara remain in pole position in the men’s 49er fleet, despite a setback where they finished fifth, having recorded four wins from their six races so far.

They are expected to face pressure from fellow Australians William and Sam Phillips, who are two points behind on nine points.

Further success for home sailors looks likely in the women’s 49erFX class as Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks lying two points ahead of New Zealand’s Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland in the three-crew competition.

The regatta is due to come to an end on Sunday ©World Sailing

In the RS:X event Joanna Sterling leads her nearest rival by nine points with the Australian having won all six races.

Croatia’s Josip Olujic, though, is denying the host’s top spot in the Finn class having built a two-point lead of Oliver Tweddell.

Olujic's compatriot Martin Dolenc is being forced to settle for second in the open kiteboarding as Germany’s Florian Gruber has built an eight-point lead.

In the Paralympic classes, newly crowned world champions Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch continued their domination of the SKUD18 fleet, with victories in both of the day’s races helping them to establish a two-point lead over Britain’s Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell.

France's Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary are tied with Australia’s Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden for the leadership of the sonar class.

France's 2.4m world champion Damien Seguin, meanwhile, leads Australia’s Matt Bugg by two points.