Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis have missed out on a World Cup gold medal in controversial fashion during an otherwise vintage day for the Australian sailing team off southern France.

Australian sailors won two gold, two bronze medals and had a fourth place at the Hyeres World Cup on Saturday.

But it could – and perhaps should – have been even better.

Olympic silver medallists Bundock and Curtis slipped from first overall to third in the Nacra 17 catamaran class after organisers changed the course of their last race – confusing the Australians and sending them the wrong way.

Bundock and Curtis, who only started sailing together in November, refused to blame anyone but themselves despite the last-minute nature of the course change.

“We had to finish within three boats of the French or within four boats of the Italians,” Bundock said.

“We were doing that midway through the race but then they shortened the course and we stuffed up basically.”

Curtis added: “It was a big unforced error for us, which is a shame.”

“As a new combination it’s really good to see these things early and we won’t be making that mistake again.”

World Sailor of the Year Mat Belcher and his crewmate Will Ryan won gold in the men’s 470 division with relative ease, extending their long run of good form.

Tom Burton took his second successive World Cup gold medal in the Laser class.

And London Olympic gold medallists Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen took bronze in the 49er class after a difficult week.

Outteridge was injured when another boat hit him on the penultimate day of the regatta and the Australians started the 49er class’s three medal races in fifth position, but a strong performance on the final day saw them climb to third.

Ashley Stoddart finished fourth in the women’s Laser Radial class – an encouraging result for the 20-year-old Queenslander as she campaigns for the 2016 Rio Olympics.