The last place on earth anyone might have expected to find pregnant Snipe crew member Nina Irgens would have been sailing in yesterday?s blustery conditions in the Great Sound with husband Michael Irgens at the helm.

At a time when most women 16 weeks into their pregnancy are just getting over morning sickness, loving wife and crew member Nina capped off another dominant display of sailing with her husband in high winds off Spanish Point Boat Club, seizing line honours in two of the day?s three races.

The Norwegians, participating in their first-ever Race Week, even found time to sit back and watch the action from afar after deciding not to compete in yesterday?s second race.

?It was perfect conditions out there today with the wind blowing like 20 knots,? Irgens, flanked by wife Nina, told . ?We are kind of light the two of us compared to other crews although her pregnancy is helping us a bit because she is weighing a little more.?

Wife Nina, added: ?I can?t hike (hang out of boat) as much obviously because of my stomach muscles and we actually have 2.1 people in the boat.?

Americans Stephen Irgens and Leo Murphy remain deadlocked in a two-way tie for first place honours among the Snipe race fleet.

The other big story emanating from Spanish Point yesterday centred around 33 year Bermuda International Invitational Race Week veteran, Leo Murphy.

Along with New Yorker crewman Watt Duffy, Murphy scored a first-ever bullet in Race Week.

And he took great delight basking in the fruits of the day?s labour.

?Not only is Duffy a good crew . . . he is also a good skipper as well,? Murphy explained. ?All I did was steer the boat and let him call all the shots.

?I thought I?d be more excited about winning today. We actually got to the first marker first and led all around the course. . . and I have never done that before. We just sailed very well in that race.?

The strategy seemed to pay off in the end.

Murphy added: ?Basically what happened today was that I was playing tactician and assisting with the boat handling and Leo was doing all the steering and making the boat go fast all day.

?It is good team work as I get to keep my head out of the boat and pick the shifts while Leo keeps us going fast. And so far it has been a lot of fun.?

Bermuda?s Ray Pitman sits in third spot in the Snipes.

Meanwhile, a close battle for Laser supremacy continues to be waged between local skippers Brett Wright and Malcolm Smith.

Wright picked up where he left off the day before, scoring two bullets while Smith grabbed two seconds and a sole bullet just to keep things interesting atop the leaderboard.

Wright presently holds a two-point lead over his nearest rival. Both skippers are expected to make a drop at the conclusion of today?s series of racing out on the Great Sound.

While Wright?s self-imposed gag remains in effect, his more responsive rival commented: ?I am happy for the way things have gone so far . . . but I just can?t afford another fourth.?

Smith described competing in yesterday?s windy conditions as ?hard work?.

?I think Brett got a little edge off the starting line in the first two races and that?s what made the difference today,? he noted. ?Once he (Wright) was able to get out in front, the course was short enough were he could control the action. But overall it was a tough day.?

Female Laser skipper Sarah Lane also enjoyed a consistent day of sailing, claiming a hat-trick of third place finishes.

?It was pretty good conditions. . . a bit up and down and the shifts weren?t too big and the right-side was definitely favoured,? she explained.

Racing continues today in the Great Sound.