Paula Lewin has a good idea what she will get for Christmas -- the female match racing world number one spot.

Lewin beat her arch-rival, American Betsy Allison, currently first in the ISAF rankings, to win the Osprey Cup in St Petersburg, Florida on the weekend. The final was a head-to-head between the world's top two, with Lewin defeating Allison two races to one.

Sailing with her all-Bermudian crew of Lisa Neasham, Leatrice Roman and her twin sister Peta, Lewin got the better of seven other teams -- four from the USA and one each from the Netherlands, Sweden and the Cayman Islands.

Allison took pole position away from Lewin earlier this year and held a 30-point lead going into the event, but Lewin has now almost certainly done enough to overtake her. The new rankings are expected to be issued today.

Lewin said of the final: "We won the first race comfortably, but lost the second one by a matter of three inches.

"We won the third well and I felt we were always pretty much in control.

We've finished second, third, fourth and fifth before, but it's nice to win the Osprey at last.'' The showdown was fought out in light winds, with gusts of up to 15 knots.

Twice named Bermuda's Female Athlete of the Year, Lewin became the first Bermudian to be rated number one in any sport when she topped the rankings at the end of last year.

Lewin, 27, has been sailing competitively since the age of 16, and said 1998 had unquestionably been her best year so far. She has achieved an unprecedented Grand Slam of three major events in the USA.

In May, she took the Santa Maria Cup, defeating Cory Sertl 2-0 in the best-of-three final in Annapolis, Maryland.

She followed that up in September by coming out on top of a fleet of ten in the International Women's Match Racing Championship at the regatta at Marblehead, Massachusetts.

And with the Osprey Cup now in her trophy cabinet as well, the new rankings are almost certain to see Lewin back at the top.

"The thing I enjoy doing most is winning events and I've always thought of the top ranking as an extra,'' said Lewin.

"But if we are back at the top, then we're proud and excited to be there.

What adds to it is the rivalry between us and Betsy.

"We've been one and two in the world over the past couple of years and to be able to rise to that and perform well is exciting.'' The rankings are calculated on a complex formula, over a three-year period, weighted towards the current year.

Lewin has a seven-month wait before her next big event, the Santa Maria Cup, and then she will compete in the world championships in Italy next October when she will try to take the title from Allison.