Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb remain on course to bank a second successive Olympic gold medal after extending their lead at the sailing regatta in Qingdao today.

Ayton, of Ashford, and Webb, of Weybridge, racing in the Yngling class alongside Pippa Wilson, landed Athens Olympic gold four years ago at their debut Games.

And with just three races left in China - Ayton and Webb led the overall standings - five points ahead of nearest rivals Holland.

It was certainly tough on Wednesday, when the wind conditions across Fushan Bay were the lightest they've been since the start of the competition,

Despite this the Yngling girls continued their confident form, with a second place pulling them five points ahead of their nearest rivals, Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Merel Witteveen of the Netherlands.

Sarah Webb confirmed how difficult it was out in the bay.  "It was right on the edge, but it was a good race, it was a fair race - it was great for us to have got a race in and for it to have gone our way so from our point of view, we're very happy."

"There was an individual recall at the start," she explained.  "We were very close and we weren't entirely sure whether to go back or not, but Pippa was pretty confident that we weren't over so she made the call, we backed her and off we went up the beat.

"We came through, pulled up through the fleet again and ended up with a really good result," Webb added.