After getting beaten up in their first light-wind races at the Rio Games on Tuesday, the world’s leading Laser and Finn-class sailors took advantage of strong winds to reassert their dominance.

Top-ranked Giles Scott, of Britain, powered to second- and first-place finishes in high waves and 20-knot winds on the Niteroi ocean course.

That moved Scott, his nation’s best medal hope since four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie’s retirement, into first place with five preliminary races to go after the disappointments on fluky Guanabara Bay earlier this week.

World No. 35 Vasilij Zbogar, of Slovenia, is five points back and in second place overall.

In the Laser class, No. 2-ranked Tonci Stipanovic extended his lead on 26 points while continuing Croatia’s hunt for a first Olympic sailing medal.

Sailing in strong winds, Stipanovic finished ahead of Britain’s Nick Thompson and Rutger van Schaardenberg, of the Netherlands.

Twice Olympic gold medallist and nine-time Laser world champion Robert Scheidt, 43, improved his chances for a record sixth medal as Brazil’s “El Demolidor” moved into fourth from eighth.

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