Bermuda entry Tiburon, whose international crew includes Grant Simmer, the general manager of 35th America's Cup defender Oracle Team USA, seized bragging rights on the opening day of the Etchells World Championship in San Francisco.

The team of skipper Dirk Kneulman, Mark Strube and Simmer completed the first two races, which were held after a nearly three-hour delay because of light breeze, as leaders of the overall 51-boat racing fleet.

The trio overcame a poor start in the first race to finish eighth and then made on a solid start in the second to lead the fleet across the line and take the win.

“It was mayhem on the starting line because everyone is so good,” Kneulman told Scuttlebutt Sailing News. “We had a bad first start but clawed our way back to finish in eighth.

“We had a great start in the second race, found a clean lane and were lucky to be the first boat to the windward mark.”

Etchells boat builder and previous world champion Kneulman jointly owns Tiburon along with Royal Bermuda Yacht Club skipper Mark Watson, who was ruled out after injuring his left knee.

Canadian Kneulman sails out of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club but is racing under the Bermuda flag as the team qualified for the championship competing in the local Etchells fleet.

Also competing in San Francisco are Bermudian sailors Jesse Kirkland and the father and son pair of Tim and Campbell Patton.

Olympian Kirkland is competing as the tactician on board American Scott Kaufman's boat America Jane II while the Pattons are racing under the Bermuda flag on board Thrash.

American Jane II was in 25th and the Pattons at the bottom of the standings after the opening two races.

Results from yesterday's third and fourth races were unavailable press time.

The World Championship, being hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club, is taking place at the venue of the 34th America's Cup and concludes on Saturday.