By the time the final race took place only four boats were prepared to answer the starting call.

Novice skipper Michael Siese found it difficult to control his boat, and after failing to complete the first two races, threw in the towel and watched the other competitors from shore.

It was not long before Ted Wood joined Siese on the sidelines. Wood's boat had a gaping hole after colliding with Micky Berkeley's boat at the gybe mark of the third race.

Three races later, David Kuhn and Brett Wright, who had sailed across from the Spanish Point Boat Club, turned around and sailed back, several points fattening their total for the day.

In the midst of all this chaos, Peter Bromby seized the spotlight and showed how important experience can be, winning each of the first five races with superior upwind boatspeed. While the other yachtsmen were struggling to stay out of the water, Bromby was finding his downwind legs.

Rounding the gybe mark proved the biggest challenge for the racers. In the fourth race, Bromby passed the mark with ease with the five other competitors capsizing.

"It looked like a graveyard at the gybe mark,'' Andreas Lewin said following the races.

David Kuhn broke Bromby's win streak in the sixth race, surpassing the leader after Bromby capsized in the choppy waters. Lewin grabbed the seventh race with a solid high speed downwind leg. Bromby returned to the front for the next two races while Berkeley won the last race of the day, overtaking Bromby on the second reaching leg.

At the end of the day Bromby took the series with 8.25 points, while Lewin was a distant second with 18.75 points. Berkeley (25.75 points) narrowly beat out Dave Moore (26 points) for third place after Moore failed to complete the last race.

Racing continues next Sunday at Mangrove Bay with the first race beginning at 1 p.m.

GOLF GLF The Bermuda Howard University Alumni Club's second annual golf tournament in aid of the University Scholarship Fund will be held on Saturday at Ocean View, beginning with a shotgun start at 8.30am.

John Richardson and Dorothy Burchall are the men's and women's defending champions. There will be prizes in various categories, including low net for men and women, low gross in three different flights (handicaps one to 10, 11-20 and 21 and over) and the Howard Alumni category for graduates.

There are also longest drive and closest to the pin awards and the prize presentation will be held at the completion of the tournament.

Golfers are required to check in by 8a.m.

SOCCER SOC The World Cup qualifying match between England and Holland will be shown live this afternoon at the Robin Hood Pub starting at 3.00.