After three days of sunshine sailing the sluggish, very light winds, the strong tidal currents and grey, clinging haze with which Qingdao has become synonymous moved in to affect the Olympic regatta for the first time yesterday. Ben Ainslie, the defending Finn champion, and the Yngling crew proved just as strong in these pedestrian-paced races, strengthening their overall lead to remain as Great Britain's strongest sailing gold-medal contenders.

A hot, sticky two-hour delay because of insufficient breeze on the Yngling and Finn course was rewarded with one painfully slow race. An injection of stronger winds to relieve the tedium at this regatta is overdue because the gentle breezes have seriously compromised Olympic sailing's global image.

After finishing second and increasing his lead to six points with three series races planned before Saturday's double-points medal race, Ainslie returned ashore hot and frazzled, asserting that the wind had been too light for racing but relieved that he is moving clear at the head of the class.

Conservatism and downwind speed were the foundations for Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson's second place in the Yngling fleet. Their rigidly imposed strategy has been to sail safely, minimising risks, and let their rivals make mistakes, but Webb suggested yesterday that over the final three series races they may be ready to sail more aggressively.

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“We will probably look at the points and maybe change later on tomorrow or the next day, but we are just sailing very well,” she said. “It is all working very easily. We don't feel like we need to push it and that is how we sail best."