in the sauna this morning as they make their final attempt to get within the weight limit in time for tomorrow's start of the Bank of Bermuda Cup.

Failure to do so will mean that Bermuda's top IOD skipper will have to watch from the sidelines as seven other skippers, Glenn Astwood, Adam Barboza, Paul Fisher, Paula Lewin, Tim Patton, Blythe Walker and William White, battle over the next two Sundays for two places in next month's Omega Gold Cup in Hamilton Harbour. The weigh-in is scheduled for 9 a.m.

"We're confident we can make it,'' said an upbeat Bromby yesterday. "I lost 11 pounds in one day before.

"I'm just looking forward to making the weight limit and making the regatta.

It's been a hard month and a half for us. When you're not eating properly it makes you miserable.'' Bromby recently experienced disappointment in Holland in the Nations Cup Grand Finals when he was pipped for a semifinal place by the US Virgin Islands' Peter Holmberg in a sail-off.

"We haven't had as much practice as we would have liked, but we're hoping to get through Sunday and practise all next week for the semifinals and final,'' said Bromby, who will be joined in the sauna this morning by crew members Lee White, Penny Simmons and Dennis Correia.

"The positive side is we sailed together last year in the Gold Cup and one of my crew, Lee White, was good enough to write down all the methods we used.'' The format this year sees the eight skippers racing against each other in a round-robin format. Next Sunday the top four boats advance to the semifinals where the skipper who finishes top of the round-robin group will have the luxury of choosing his or her semifinal opponent. Both the semifinals and final will be best-of-three. The last time Bromby competed in match racing, Holmberg spoiled an otherwise good series for him in Holland.

"That's very typical what can happen in Hamilton Harbour,'' said Bromby. "We will breathe a sigh of relief if we can get out of the Bank of Bermuda Cup.'' Racing starts at 9.30 a.m. tomorrow in Hamilton Harbour.

Tomorrow, the Fitted Dinghy season comes to an end when the Jubilee Cup race is held in Granaway Deep starting at 4 p.m. between the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The race was postponed from last week.