Michael Beckett has taken a commanding lead in the men's laser ©British Sailing Team

Britain's Michael Beckett has taken a commanding lead at the top of the men's laser standings after the first day of gold-fleet races at the European Laser Championships in Gdansk in Poland.

With seventh- and fourth-place finishes, Beckett's top-10 results leave him a clear leader on 22 points, more than 15 points ahead of his team mate and main rival for the European title, Elliot Hanson.

Hanson lost ground on Beckett despite placing second in the second race of the day, after finishing 17th first up, bringing his score to 38.3.

Cyprus' Pavlos Kontides remains in third having discarded his first race of the day when he was all the way down in 37th, but a seventh-place finish subsequently left him on a score of 45.

Russia's Sergei Komissarov recorded his worst performance of the event so far, finishing 59th and 11th, but is in fourth, two points ahead of Britain's Lorenzo Chiavarini.

A major talking point was the decline of Croatia's Filip Jurišić who just two days ago led the race but is now down in 12th overall after placing 32nd and 28th in today's races.

Croatia's Toni Stipanovic and The Netherlands' Niels Broekhuizen took the race wins today to move up to 24th and 35th respectively.

Although her lead was cut slightly, Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom remains at the top of the women's laser radial standings after a day where only one race took place in the gold fleet.

Rindom came seventh - a result currently discarded - and has 11 points in total.

Agata Barwińska of Poland, who took second place in the race, occupies the same position overall on 20 points.

Olympic champion Marit Bouwmeester dropped from second to fourth in the women's laser radial ©Getty Images
Olympic champion Marit Bouwmeester dropped from second to fourth in the women's laser radial ©Getty Images

Belgium's Emma Plasschaert has been very consistent, and although she is yet to finish in the top three in any race is third overall on 31 points.

Three Dutch sailors had days to forget, most notably world and Olympic champion Marit Bouwmeester, who fell to fourth after placing 20th in today's race.

Bouwmeester's score is 37 and compatriot Maxime Jonker's is 41, following a 52nd-place finish she currently discards.

Greece's Vasileia Karachaliou won the day's sole women's laser radial race.

In the men's laser radial, The Netherlands' Paul Hameeteman extended his lead over Poland's Filip Ciszkiewicz.

Hameeteman finished third and seventh to bring his score to 23.

Ciszkiewicz is nine points back and was disqualified in race seven today.

The real winner of day four was Ukraine's Oskar Madonich, who won the first race and was runner-up in the second.

He has 35 points in total.

The event is due to reach its climax on Tuesday (October 13).