Ben Paton, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club sailing coach, is holding his own at the Yanmar Moth World Championships in Japan.

After six races and one discard, the British sailor sits in fifth spot among the 66-boat racing fleet boasting America’s Cup sailors, Olympic gold medal winners and world champions.

Paton has three top five finishes under his belt to date, with a best finish of third in the third race, and trails leader Chris Rashley by 17 points.

The RBYC sailing coach was among those who braved yesterday’s strong winds that challenged the experts while as many as 20 others opted to stay ashore.

Rashley, the European and UK Moth champion, thrived the most in the challenging conditions posting a 1-1-2 on the day, to knock Robert Greenhalgh, the overnight leader, off the top spot.

Greenhalgh damaged his rigging in the fourth race, which ruled him out of the fifth, but returned to win the sixth to head back ashore in sixteenth yesterday.

Greenhalgh pipped Rashley for the inaugural Amlin International Moth Regatta held in Bermuda last December, coming from behind to win the championship with a dominant display on the final day of racing.

Paul Goodison, the Artemis Racing helmsman, Olympic gold medal-winner and Laser world champion, is in second at the ongoing Moth World Championships, a point adrift of Rashley.

A further five points back in third is Scott Babbage, of Australia.

The regatta continues today with three races scheduled in conditions similar to yesterday’s.

More than 70 sailors from 13 countries are competing at the Moth World Championships being held from May 21-29, with all racing taking place in Hayama, the sailing venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.