Gian Andrea Stragiotti and Suofeiya Li recorded unbeaten days as Formula Kite athletes began their Youth Sailing World Championship campaigns on day three in Vilamoura.

All 11 events saw action on the same day for the first time in the competition so far, making for plenty of movement on the leaderboards.

There were also contrasts in the conditions. Winds were far lighter than on Tuesday, while a 180-degree switch from northward to southward in the wind direction midway through the day meant the afternoon racers had to adapt quickly.

Male Formula Kite: Stragiotti sets the tone

Switzerland’s Gian Andrea Stragiotti became U19 European Formula Kite champion earlier this year and made the perfect start to his bid to win Youth World gold.

He holds a 10-point advantage after winning all three races on the opening day of competition for his class, leading the first two from start to finish.

New Zealand’s Toby Wigglesworth sits second, with Israel’s Carmel Avisar and Spain’s Carlos Espi Plat both on 15 points.

Female Formula Kite: Li wins three

Suofeiya Li, of China, replicated Stragiotti’s feat and won three from three in the female Formula Kite.

She was the only athlete to finish the third race, opening up a 12-point lead over Great Britain’s Emma Rennie.

Poland’s Karolina Jankowska and France’s Tylia Louber, in third and fourth, are both on 18 points.

Male/Mixed 420: Tight at the top

Ukrainian duo Sviatoslav Madonich and Dmytro Karabadzhak lead the male/mixed 420 on countback from Israel’s Ziv Shtub and Loya Sheffler, with both on five points.

Shtub and Sheffler finished inside the top two in all three of Wednesday’s races, winning the last.

Madonich and Karabadzhak triumphed in the opener and finished third in the final race, which also saw Brazilian world champions Said Royo and Bernardo Oliveira, who won the middle race, given a U-Flag Disqualification (UFD). Puerto Rico’s Isabel Rivera Fernandez and Gian Marco Piovanetti sit third as a result.

Madonich said: “We had a great day, it was very tough but very interesting. Everyone was so close, so it was interesting races. It was difficult but we tried to enjoy it and we did a good job.”

Karabadzhak added: “It is our first time in Vilamoura and we like it. Conditions are nice, very similar to Italy, where we train now.”

Female 420: ‘Hard work paying off’ for Brits

Great Britain’s Sabine Potter and Merle Nieuwland lead the way in the 420 after five of nine races, with three completed on Wednesday.

Finishes of third and second in the opening two left the Brits on 10 points, four clear of both France’s Emy Combet and Juliette Peyre, and New Zealand’s Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson.

Nieuwland said: “Yesterday was pretty huge (winds) and today was the other end of the scale, so we are happy we have been able to adapt to both conditions and stay consistent.

“We are just keeping our heads cool and not thinking too much about it (leading). We were just super proud to be able to come to this event in the first place and it is nice to see the hard work has paid off.”

Israel’s Tamar Bar and Rotem Gilboa surged from 18^th to fourth courtesy of two wins and a third, while Japan’s Shion Suzuki and Riho Sanematsu made a similarly strong leap from 19^th to seventh after collecting a win and a second place among their three results.

Bar said: “Yesterday was a really hard day for us, it wasn’t good, but we really enjoyed today. We want to do more good races tomorrow and we are excited for the rest of the week.”

Male/Mixed 29er: Polish pair hold narrow lead

The male/mixed 29er crews returned to the water after missing out on Tuesday’s action.

Four races were completed and France’s Nolann Huet Des Aunay and Titouan Gresset won the last two to move into second on 23 points, two adrift of leaders Szymon Kolka and Bartosz Zmudzinski, of Poland.

Zmudzinski said: “We are probably not the lightest crew so it was difficult to sail with tricky offshore winds, but we managed to keep up with the top positions – that was our goal, so we are happy.”

Huet Des Aunay said: “It was very shifty wind so the first and second races were hard for us, but it was very good to win the next two.

“We hope for a lot of races tomorrow and the last day. This is an amazing regatta and we are enjoying the moment.”

Brazil’s Zion Brandao and Joao Joppert are third, on 25 points, while Kevin Cason and Holland Vierling (USA), and Isabella Calzadilla Allora and Diego Jose Marrero Cuevas (PUR), also claimed race victories.

Female 29er: World champions share summit

Reigning World and European champions Antonina Puchowska and Alicja Dampc, of Poland, ended the day with consecutive victories to move into the lead on countback from British pair Lila Edwards and Amelie Hiscocks, who recorded back-to-back runners-up finishes. Both crews are on five points.

Finland’s Maisa Kauppi and Alisa Kylävainio are third while the first race of three on the day was won by France’s Victoire Papin and Tsippora Jouan, who sit sixth overall.

Nacra 15: Nothing to split top two

Two pairs are level on 18 points at the top of the Nacra 15 standings after four races were held on day three.

France’s Marius Praud and Emilie Mansouri are tied alongside Italians Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy after both picked up one win apiece.

Belgium’s Lotte Meynen and Simon Jacobs, who started the day with back-to-back second places, sit third, four points behind the leading duos, while individual race victories also went the way of Hungary’s Greta Davoti and Liam Moore, and USA’s Dylan Tomko and Casey Small.

Praud said: “We don’t feel too good about today, we were very slow on the downwind which cost us many places. We will keep pushing tomorrow and try to do better. We will try our best to be on the podium at the end.”

Male ILCA 6: Coates on the charge

David Coates leads the ILCA 6 standings following finishes of first, second and sixth.

The American has 27 points and has a four-point cushion ahead of Czechia’s Jiri Tomes, who won the final race.

Cyprus’ Emilios Max Boeros sits third while the overnight leader Alessandro Cirinei (ITA) dropped to fifth.

Female ILCA 6: De Tomas on top

The female ILCA 6 sailors also raced three times, taking their tally to six overall, and Spaniard Irene de Tomas leads the way on 20 points.

She finished second and fifth in the opening two contests and her 29th place in the last race was discarded.

De Tomas is 15 points clear of Ireland’s Sienna Wright, who moved up to second, helped by a victory in the opening race of the day, while Ukraine’s Alina Shapovalova is third. The second race was won by Belgium’s Lena Snauwaert.

Female iQFOiL: Falcioni in front

The windsurfers raced a slalom course due to light winds and the female field was split into two, each of whom raced two heats.

Medea Falcioni (ITA) and Taisia Stopchenko (AIN) both won each of their heats and remain first and second overall, on three and four points respectively.

Turkey’s Nurhayat Guven sits a further five points back in third.

Falcioni, 15, said: “It was a nice day, the winds were light, especially compared to yesterday. I am happy with how the races are going and I hope I can keep it up.”

Male iQFOiL: Rajuan on a roll

Three heats were possible for the male iQFOiL racers and Israel’s Peleg Rajuan won two of his to stay top.

He has eight points, six clear of Italy’s Mattia Saoncella, who also won two heats. Australia’s Rory Meehan, who clocked two thirds and a first, rounds out the top three on 16 points.