After a sixth place finish in his first race at the Pre-Olympic Regatta in Athens Peter Bromby was no doubt fired up for the second.

For the Bermudian Star class skipper, with crew Lee White, went on to notch a first and secure second place overall out of 18 after the opening day yesterday.

Bromby, who has already qualified for next year's Olympic Games in the Greek city, trails leader Iain Percy of Great Britain by two points. Percy came first in the opening race, but fourth in the second.

Bermuda's other sailor at the event, Paula Lewin, is in ninth place in the Yngling class.

She too has qualified for the Olympics and, like Bromby, is using the regatta as an opportunity to familiarise herself with the course and conditions.

Lewin and her crew of sister Peta and Carola Cooper finished fifth out of 13 in the first race and tenth in the second.

Andrew Palfrey, who is the Bermudian Team Leader in Greece, said conditions were very shifty, with the wind coming off the land.

"The temperature was approximately 38 degrees celsius or 100 fahrenheit, which seems to be the norm," he said. "The wind was out of the north east at between six and 14 knots. Both the Star and Yngling races were held on course Delta, which is the furthest to the west. But the top mark was only a few hundred metres from the beach. Big random shifts and big changes in velocity."

Palfrey said Bromby was happy with his speed, even though he used the heavy mainsail in a dying breeze.

A total of 11 races will be held in each class.