Malcolm Smith's sailing skills will be put to the test as he enters the second half of the Sunfish regatta at the Pan-Am Games out of the medal places.

Two-time world champion Smith is in fourth with six races still to go at Boca Chica, just outside of Santo Domingo.

Although he is just four points adrift of the silver medal spot, he is fully 13 points behind leader and long-time adversary Eduardo Cordero of Venezuela. Raul Aguayo of the host nation is in second on 16 points and Diego Zimmerman of Peru third on 17.

However, Smith refuses to be counted out and remains in bullish mood despite sixth and seventh place finishes yesterday.

"It's only a few points to make up," he said. "It's going to be tough and I would like to have gone into the next few days either right with them or with a little bit of a cushion. I'm now trailing, but it's alright, it'll be alright, I'll work it out," he said as he looked forward to today's rest day.

Smith's final race on Tuesday was a seven. He immediately cast that out and was looking to close in on leader Cordero yesterday.

Things did not begin well, with the competitors having to wait out on the water for over an hour for the right conditions. But Smith was primed when the gun finally sounded.

"I guess my starts weren't that bad today," he said. "At the first beat I rounded third or fourth and didn't have that bad a run, but on the second beat I got caught on the wrong side of a big shift."

What also hurt Smith was that his rivals played with fire on . . . and got away with it.

"There were a few people taking some big chances and hitting the corner hard," he said. "I have been trying to sail a little more conservatively and I lost two boats on the last beat and didn't recover and was back to where I was."

Heading left, Smith got off well in the second race only to then encounter trouble.

"I tried to work a few shifts but I missed a left one at the end of the beat. That hurt me a little bit," he said. "A few boats got round in front of me and I think I rounded maybe sixth or seventh.

"From then on the guys that got ahead just stayed ahead and managed to pull out more of a lead. I managed to get a little closer to some of the leaders up the second beat, but I was never really able to get to the shift before them."

Though Cordero is obviously a firm favourite for gold, Smith pointed out that there was still plenty of racing left.

"Anything can happen," he said. "Eduardo has had some iffy races. He has got four firsts, a third and a fifth. So it is possible, but he is opening up a lead now on the second group.

"His upwind speed has been really good. He can round fourth or fifth and be first or second at the bottom mark. When it gets really light that's when he sails well, probably because of his weight. Giving up 15 to 20 pounds in weight makes a big difference in the boat."

But Smith does not believe he has to take any chances to improve on his current position.

"I think I have been fairly aggressive," he said. "I have been getting some really good starts. Of six starts I have only had one bad one. My boat speed has been good . . . it's a question of figuring out what the wind is going to do. It's going through 15 to 20 degrees and there's not persistent shifts where they constantly move back and forth.

"There seems to be a big shift one way, which might come halfway through a beat, and if you're not at it you are going to miss it."

Local knowledge was aiding second placed Aguayo at present, Smith believed. He said he hoped to redress the balance when racing resumes.

"He has put together three or four good races over the past two days," he said. "His speed is good but I think his local knowledge is what is working for him right now.

"But I have been sailing here for over a week. Including today, I have sailed seven of the last eight days here, so I know what is happening. "

Meanwhile, Martin Vezina, Smith's training partner at Spanish Point Boat Club is in fifth at the halfway stage.

The Canadian had an eighth and a fourth yesterday for a total of 22 points.