Taking up from where he left off the day before, yachtsman extraordinaire Peter Bromby grabbed full control of the Etchells 22 class with another scintillating performance yesterday on the second day of International Race Week.

Bromby, a multiple past winner of the International One Design, staked his claim for the now in vogue Etchells category with his second first place finish in as many races. There are now four races to go.

While the majority of the fleet wallowed about the Great Sound seemingly in awe, class `heavyweights' Bromby and main rival Tim Patton engaged in a pitched battle for supremacy, a fight eventually won by Bromby and his crack crew of Clive Thatcher and Lee White.

So engrossed were the pair with each other that they almost appeared oblivious to the others, virtually turning the event into a match race during the second leg to leeward, gibing well past the bottom mark. Neither seemed willing to give an inch.

The move would ultimately cost Patton, as it allowed the remainder of the fleet to close ground to the point and Patton ultimately was forced to settle for third behind Bromby and fellow Sandys Boat Club member Paul Fisher.

"It became a question of winning or losing the race and I decided -- against the wishes of my crew -- that I wanted to try and win the race and any other position was losing it. I got a little bit too greedy and sacrificed second place,'' said Patton of the duel.

"We were first for the first four legs and on the second weather leg we separated from Peter a bit and he got in a little too close to us and when we came around the windward mark we had a bad spinnaker set and he managed to get inside position on us. So we had a terrible time trying to get back ahead of him and we didn't.

"We were sailing around, covering so much distance trying to get ahead of him that the rest of the fleet was closing in and then in the last weather leg we decided to play the big game and separate from them. We took a chance and it didn't pay off, so the second boat passed us.'' However, despite the disappointments of the first two days where the four-time winner has been forced into the role of an also-ran, Patton remained optimistic of reclaiming the title he last won in 1993 -- he was second to American Tim Lynch last year.

He expressed confidence in his own ability and that of his crew to be able to bounce back and make a firm challenge with four races remaining, including two today.

"I'm going to sail the boat to win it, just like we did today,'' said Patton, admittedly growing weary of the time, effort and preparation required to perform well in the regatta.

"Well, it's going to blow hard tomorrow and we go along pretty well in the breeze. Peter's got a bit of a weight advantage in the breeze, a very decided weight advantage, but we go along pretty well and I have Blythe (Walker) sitting next to me and he's a very good tactician.

"We made him work for his bullet today and it's not going to be easy (the rest of the week).'' While Patton's built-in confidence belied obvious concern, Bromby needed no such camouflage.

His results spoke volumes.

Entering as the favourite, Bromby presented his skills for all to admire and, despite the shenanigans between himself and Patton, he lived up to his billing.

"So far so good,'' said Bromby, who missed last year's event because of his participation at the European Spring Championships.

"There's still a lot of racing to go, we're only a third of the way through, but we're happy with the way things are going.

"We were glad to come back today and win, we were a bit slow off the line, but got it together and just kept nibbling away bit by bit and finally got by him (Patton) on the run.

"I think maybe what Timmy was trying to do on the run was maybe bring a third boat into play, but it kind of backfired.'' Overall, Bromby, with a one and one half points, leads Patton by four and one half, with England's Ted Fort third, a further two points adrift.

Still, Bromby versus Patton was not the only programme on tap as the United States' Roger Smith put together fine show of his own racing among the kamikaze-like International 14s.

Smith recorded a second and first to lead following the first day of action in the class, with only an error on the last leg of the first race preventing him from winning both.

Making the feat all the more amazing was the fact that the American competed with a warped rudder, one which needed to be replaced at the end of the day.

"I feel very lucky, because if you look at my rudder it's dented and I sailed with it all day and on the way in it broke,'' said a beaming Smith. "It was lovely sailing out there, absolutely beautiful conditions, we could do with a bit more breeze which would make these things really fly, but they were still going pretty nicely today, particularly when the wind picked up at times.

"It was tremendous sailing and really close competition as well... neck and neck all the way to the finish.'' Another American, Louis Phillips, claimed the top spot in the opening encounter, but followed that with a third to put him third overall at eight points. Second is Andrew Yates (five) of Canada behind Smith (two and three-quarters).

Meanwhile, the question being asked among those familiar to the International One Design (IOD) class is `What's happened to Bill Shore?' The veteran sail maker and two-time defending champion has been a virtual non-entity thus far, languishing in fourth place, with a best finish of third to go with two sixths and a fourth.

"I don't know (what's happened),'' replied Shore, who has suffered from numerous bad starts and has appeared out of synch with his four man crew.

"If something (good) was going to happen it should have started today.

"We'll just have to do the best we can and see how high up in the fleet we can finish.'' Continuing to lead the way is local veteran campaigner Eugene (Penny) Simmons followed by Tony Leggett and John Burnham.

John Alofsin likewise heads the J24 category over Bermuda's Michael Emery and George Desrosiers.

Among the small craft racing out of Spanish Point Boat Club, Chris Field heads the JY15 class, James Jacob the Laser class and Donny Martinborough of the Bahamas stands atop the Sunfish class. Jerry Thompson, so far, rules the Snipes and Rudy Bailey the Comets.

Peter Bromby