Rockal Evans will be looking to make inroads on the leaders when racing resumes today at the Ronstan 2018 International Finn Australian Championships in Brisbane.

The Bermudian sailor sits eighth after two races, 14 points off the lead with a drop to come after six races.

Evans found the going tough during yesterday’s opening two races of the championship on Waterloo Bay — delayed a day because of high winds — but still managed to come ashore with two top-ten showings. He was sixth in the opening race among the 29-boat fleet and tenth in the second.

“Hard day with tricky conditions and current coming out of the river and big wind shifts coming over some islands,” Evans said yesterday. “I am encouraged at the moment but will improve tomorrow.”

Evans has identified some key areas where he needs to improve if he is to achieve his goal of a top-five finish in his debut appearance at the event.

“I have to go with the shift a lot earlier and also try not to go to the favoured side of the course right away so I have more options,” the former Bermuda Comet class champion explained.

Evans, who is ranked 51 in the Finn world rankings, is bidding to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

He moved to Sydney last October to enhance his qualifying chances by gaining exposure competing and training regularly alongside America’s Cup-calibre sailors such as Jake Lillie, who topped the leaderboard after yesterday’s races on Waterloo Bay by two points over compatriot Oliver Tweddell. Luke Elliott sits in third, a further six points adrift.

The Finn dinghy is an Olympic class regarded as the most physical and tactical single-handed sailboat in the world.