New Yorker James Bishop put problems with a disintegrating boat earlier in the week behind him to give himself a great chance of carrying off two IOD trophies at International Race Week.

Bishop, who watched incredulously as problems with his boom, jib and main sheet played havoc with his chances in the Bermuda Race Week Championship on Tuesday, had better luck yesterday in his bid to carry off the Norwegian Series B.

He sailed home comfortably in first position to add to his victory in the opening race of the series two days ago, giving him a lead of six-and-a-half points with just two more races to come today.

But Bishop has his sights firmly on the Vrengen Gold Cup -- for the overall winner from both series.

"That's our objective,'' he said yesterday. "We're in command of the second series but we're looking for the overall and it's still tight for that.'' Bishop had his problems with the conditions yesterday but at least he got some racing in.

The Etchells class, where the battle for supremacy between Robert Bell, Graham Bailey and Andreas Lewin was due to resume, had a blank day -- their one race scheduled for the afternoon falling victim to the sudden disappearance of the breeze. Bell, indeed, was reduced to doing push-ups on his boat to keep active while others just took in the sunshine.

The J-24s managed to get some competition during the morning, Canadian Thomas Hakansson reducing compatriot Michael Mountford's lead to a little over one point with his victory in the penultimate race. American Jim Keesling stayed in contention mathematically after finishing third, but Bermudian Jon Corless was out of the picture after coming sixth.

The Tornados managed to get in only one of three scheduled races, Bermuda's Glenn Astwood leading home the fleet.

The dinghy classes -- the JY-15s, Snipes and Lasers -- all enjoyed activity in the morning, but were unable to get too far in the afternoon and racing was eventually abandoned. They had already missed out on Tuesday because of poor weather conditions.

The wind, when there was some, was not really the sailor's friend.

Said Bishop: "It was a flukey day. I don't think anyone really enjoyed our race -- the breeze was going all over the place.

"But we kept our heads in it. We rounded the first marker in fifth, we managed to come back to second by the second mark and through a nice shift that went in our favour we took over first on the third leg. From there we developed quite a lead.

"But it was that kind of day, you either got way out there or you got way behind, though there was never a point where you couldn't come back because of the breeze.'' He added: "We had our troubles with the boat earlier in the week but hopefully those troubles are behind us and we're looking forward to ending the regatta well.'' Results, see Scoreboard .

Photos by Arthur Bean FEET UP -- Paula Lewin laps up the sunshine as she waits for some wind to get the Etchells fleet underway. The race, part of International Race Week, was ultimately abandoned.

PUSH-UP -- American Robert Bell gets in some exercise as he waits for the start of the Etchells race yesterday.