The use of J-24 boats at the BGA National Championships will hurt local sailors' chances at next month's $100,000 Brut Gold Cup, declared top local sailor Peter Bromby.

This year the smaller craft are being utilised during qualifying to determine which two local sailors will represent the Island against the hottest sailors of match racing. The J-24's are being used in order to prevent damage to International One Design (IOD) boats.

Bromby, while conceding that the potential for boat damage was a valid concern, said that not using the IOD's for qualifying denied opportunities to gain valuable practice time and experience under race conditions.

"I think they took a step backward by going with the J-24s,'' said Bromby, who finished Sunday's first round with a perfect 6-0 record against a strong select field. "I can agree with them not wanting to have the (IOD) boats damaged, but it means that the locals will be going into the Brut Gold Cup a lot less prepared than if we had our own `Gold Cup' a week before.

"And I would say that it is a big downside, the difference between the IOD and J-24 is huge...they're two different animals altogether.'' Still, the world's current 27th ranked match racer hinted that whoever qualifies from the Bermudian group should have a solid chance of at least making it to the first round, if not beyond that.

It was in 1992 when Bromby emerged undefeated from the qualification stage for unseeded skippers and reached the quarter-finals of the then Omega Gold Cup before he was ousted by New Zealand's Russell Coutts in controversial fashion, after the Bermudian had placed the Kiwi firmly on the ropes. Coutts went on to win the title, beating American Paul Cayard, who has since gone on to even greater glory in seizing the America's Cup.

"Sure, they have a chance. We've seen that proven in the past,'' said Bromby of the local sailors. "(But) they'll have their backs against the wall because of the nationals using J-24s, which to me is negative preparation going into the Gold Cup, because in the past we've seen how much better we can be when we have that much more practice in the actual boats that are to be used.'' Yet, while Bromby enters Sunday's semi-finals as the clear favourite to win the regatta he has already made it known that he will not accept a place in the Gold Cup, thus leaving the battle for supremacy to be waged between the trio of Adam Barboza, Paula Lewin and Blythe Walker.

All three ended with 4-2 records on Sunday as Kate Williams, Paul Fisher and Michael Emery were each eliminated.

Barboza and Walker were each involved in the 1994 Gold Cup -- Walker failing to advance beyond the qualification series, while Barboza was eliminated in the first round. Lewin cannot be overlooked since she has shown the skill and grit and has been quite active this year both at home and overseas and is the highest ranked of the three in match racing.

Lewin currently stands 56th with 3,370 points, compared to Walker (58th, 3,132) and Barboza 86th, 2,052).

Each will still have to overcome the looming spectre of Bromby, who is using the event purely to bolster his point total which as of September 25 stood at 5,148 -- Coutts is the leader at 11,862.

As the leading qualifier, Bromby has choice of opponent in the semi-finals, but said that he requires further discussions with his crew before making a decision.

A year ago saw Bromby in a similar position, with his choice being Walker. He defeated his countryman and eliminated him from the main event momentarily, but Walker eventually gained entry when a foreign skipper withdrew.

The prize for the fortunate pair will be inclusion in the October 15-22 event against the world's best, which will include Coutts, American Ed Baird, Chris Law of Great Britain and Aussie Peter Gilmour.

Racing gets underway at 9.30 a.m. on Sunday in Hamilton Harbour with the Junior Gold Cup to follow at 1 p.m.

PETER BROMBY -- "I think they took a step backward by going with the J-24's''.