Bermuda's Tim Patton is lying in 15th place overall at the Etchells Worlds Championships which started at Howth off the coast of Ireland on Monday. After two races sailed in freshening winds, Ante Razmilovic of the UK holds a one point lead over Australian sailing legend John Bertrand.

Patton, who is the newly elected president of the Bermuda Sailing Association, started the regatta well, taking a seventh in the opening race and a 25th in the second race.

The Bermudian, who boasts multiple Bermuda Etchells Class National Championship victories, a Canadian National Championship title and was the international President of the Etchells Class for many years, has represented the Island at the Etchells Worlds 20 times with a fourth place finish being his best performance.

The first race on Monday, sailed in westerly winds steadily increasing in strength, saw Razmilovic open up a large lead by the windward mark, having gone to the right of the course on the first leg. While the 2009 Worlds runner-up Damien King of Australia closed the gap over the next three legs, it was not enough to deny the British boat a comfortable win.

Another British entry, Graham Bailey took third ahead of the winner's brother Nils Razmilovic (sailing for Singapore) while Bertrand finished fifth. The leading Howth entry was Stephen Quinn & Stephen O'Flaherty in 11th place.

Winds had freshened considerably to 24 knots by the start of the second race, conditions which led to some gear damage and one major collision. The conditions were, however, very much to the liking of Australian crews who filled the first three places.

Bertrand took the gun ahead of his Royal Brighton YC clubmate Jake Gunther while former World Champion Peter McNeill, who recently won the Irish national title, took third spot ahead of Ante Razmilovic. Dan O'Grady of Howth was the best of the Irish in 15th place.

There was no racing yesterday due to major wind shifts. Two races are scheduled for today.