more successful one for Paula Lewin on other fronts.

While a fifth-place showing at the St. Petersburg, Florida, regatta probably caused her to slip a litle in the women's world match-racing rankings, Lewin yesterday was concentrating on the big picture.

For one thing, she picked up a permanent fourth crew member, with American Carol Newman agreeing to join full-timers Peta Lewin and Leatrice Roman in future competitions.

And for another, she was accepted as a member at large of the new Women's International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) -- and immediately got down to looking after Bermuda's interests.

WIMRA was recently formed in an attempt to get an 11th sailing medal for women included in the Olympics. The move failed -- but the movement didn't and a meeting of the 50-odd women's match racers on the weekend resulted in the formation of a four-race circuit beginning next year.

"We basically decided that (the sport's) destiny belonged in our own hands,'' said Lewin, who was ranked number one in the world before slipping back into second spot last week.

WIMRA also decided that Bermuda should have one of the four sanctioned regattas -- and Lewin was charged with organising it. She concedes she doesn't have a lot of experience putting on such things but was ready to throw her name behind it in the interest of women.

Currently, women's match racing takes place only under the auspices of individual yacht clubs or through invitations issued by the men's match racing body, run through the international sailing federation (ISAF).

"It is so difficult to get into men's match races,'' said Lewin. "This will make it much more accessible for women and really bring the level (of sailing) up.'' By next year, the women's circuit will have more accurate world rankings, as well as crew rankings.

Lewin, who finished 14th in the European dinghy class at the Atlanta Olympic Games, likes the idea of both, particularly since she has managed to form one of the top J-22 boats in the world without the continuity of a permanant crew on the jib (sister Peta works mainsail and Roman handles foredeck).

That will change with the arrival of Newman, a writer who will be frequently jetting across the Atlantic to train with Lewin on a regular basis.

"This is great news for us,'' said Lewin.

Lewin said Newman fitted in well with the others and was looking for strong results as the crew's roles became formalised and they began working together.

At the Osprey Cup, for instance, Lewin won 11 of the 18 races -- the bulk of them coming in the second half of the double round-robin format.

"We could have won every one of (the second nine races) but gave three of them away just through silly mistakes,'' said Lewin.

The next event on the calendar likely won't be until February in Miami.

The result dropped Lewin further behind Germany's Nadine Strengwalner, who was second in the Osprey Cup, in overall world rankings, but likely allowed her to stay ahead of American Courtenay Becker-Day, who was fifth.