Artemis Youth Racing laid down a marker by finishing the first day of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup pool A qualifiers with a pair of wins.

The Swedes lead the standings and look well set to reach the finals as one of the top four qualifiers from their pool, which includes Kaijin Team Japan, SVB Team Germany, Team France Jeune, Youth Vikings Denmark and Team Tilt.

Pool B teams NZL Sailing Team, Land Rover BAR Academy, Spanish Impulse and local favourites Team BDA have already advanced to next week’s finals.

Gustav Pettersson, the Artemis Youth Sailing skipper, said he is thrilled with the way his team built on their third-place finish in the opening race yesterday.

“We got back into it very well in the last two races,” Pettersson, a five-times national champion, said.

“The conditions were really tough and tricky. We just have to keep believing in ourselves and it’s never over until the finish.”

The 23-year-old expects another tough day on the Great Sound and believes several of the pool A teams are capable of challenging for honours.

“It’s so tough because it looks like all of the boats are sailing very well,” said Pettersson.

“In the final race there were five boats coming in at the same time at the last mark.

“I think all of the teams will be competitive and we’ll have to keep pushing it to qualify for the finals.”

In race one it was Robin Follin’s Team France Jeune who stole the early advantage, claiming a comfortable victory.

Despite the light winds, the French team, affiliated to America’s Cup syndicate Groupama Team France, managed to generate good speed away from the start line and led throughout the race.

Behind them, a hard-fought battle for second place was eventually won by Max Kohlhoff’s SVB Team Germany ahead of Artemis Youth Racing.

Kaijin Team Japan took fourth place, followed by Switzerland’s Team Tilt, skippered by Sebastian Schneiter, with Youth Vikings Denmark coming in sixth.

Team France Jeune followed up their victory with two third-place finishes to leave Follin reflecting on a job well done.

“We did some very good manoeuvres and had good speed,” said Follin, whose team were cheered on by Franck Cammas, the Groupama Team France skipper, and his crew.

“We just need to improve our start and it will be very nice.” Follin, 22, said his team are enjoying the “wonderful island” of Bermuda and have targeted a podium finish at the event.

“We’re very relaxed and we just have to finish the job,” he said. “It’s important for us to be in the first four [today].

“It’s a big event and if we’re on the podium we will be very happy.”

In race two, in what proved a much closer duel, Artemis Youth Racing built on their promising first-race display to claim victory, narrowly ahead of SVB Team Germany, with Max Kohlhoff’s team having to settle for another second-place finish.

A dramatic battle ensued at the last mark with Follin’s Team France Jeune overtaking the improved Youth Vikings Denmark team, finishing third and fourth respectively.

Team Tilt once again placed fifth, with Kaijin Team Japan coming sixth.

In the third and final race of the day, Artemis Youth Racing continued their eye-catching form, taking a second successive first-place finish.

Behind the victors, Switzerland’s Team Tilt claimed a morale-boosting second-place finish, ahead of the consistent Team France Jeune.

Youth Vikings Denmark held off late pressure from the Germans to seal fourth. Kaijin Team Japan again finished in sixth place.

Max Kohlhoff, SVB Team Germany skipper, is pleased with his team’s consistency and believes their day could have been even better had it not been for a pair of costly errors.

“To finish second in the first two races, we’re very happy with that,” Kohlhoff said.

“In the third race we were leading the group but made two pretty big mistakes and lost three or four boats.

“That wasn’t good, of course, but we learnt a lot from today and that should help our progress.”

POOL A RESULTS

Race 1

Team France Jeune (10pts)

SVB Team Germany (9)

Artemis Youth Racing (8)

Kaijin Team Japan (7)

Team Tilt (6)

Youth Vikings Denmark (5)

Race 2

Artemis Youth Racing (10)

SVB Team Germany (9)

Team France Jeune (8)

Youth Vikings Denmark (7)

Team Tilt (6)

Kaijin Team Japan (5)

Race 3

Artemis Youth Racing (10)

Team Tilt (SUI) (9)

Team France Jeune (8)

Youth Vikings Denmark (7)

SVB Team Germany (6)

Kaijin Team Japan (5)

Table

Artemis Youth Racing (28)

Team France Jeune (26)

SVB Team Germany (24)

Team Tilt (21)

Youth Vikings Denmark (19)

Kaijin Team Japan (17)