Norwich windsurfer Nick Dempsey may have won race six at London 2012 but a nightmare preceding race saw him drop out of the podium places on the Weymouth waters.

Dempsey was forced to play catch-up after he lagged in 10th in the opening race on Thursday, a result that allowed race leader Dorian van Rijsselberghe to further extend his advantage with a victory.

But the 29-year-old responded in the best possible fashion with his second race victory of the regatta, by 18 seconds with the Netherlands' Van Rijsselberghe taking second.

The results mean Dempsey drops down to fourth – one point off Przemek Miarczynski and two behind second-place Germany's Toni Wilhelm – and there was no disguising his frustration at the finish.

'I had a nightmare first race – the wind dropped and I made a bit of a mess of it,' said Dempsey.

'It was impossible to get off the start line and I missed a couple of opportunities up the first beat and didn't really take any risks and paid the price, then it was just all catch up again.

'I came back in the second and I know I'm quick downwind and that's nice but it's frustrating what happened in the first race.'

Dempsey has a rest day on Friday with a further four races over the weekend before Tuesday's medal race.

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