PAULA Lewin and her crew returned briefly to Bermuda this week after two weeks of training on the waters where they will sail in the Athens Olympics next month.

Lewin, together with twin sister Peta Lewin and Christine Patton, will be aiming for a medal in the Yngling class at the Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre.

Lewin said the training in Greece had been intensive and very productive. After a week back at home, the crew leaves next Tuesday for another two weeks' training close to the Olympic venue.

"The sailing conditions are tricky there ? they keep you on your toes," Lewin said. "There is a pattern to the conditions, but there is a lot of variety within that pattern.

"The facilities there are great and the people there are really nice.

"Going there does not only help us with the sailing, it also helps on a comfort level. For example, now we know where to go to buy fresh bread and how to find our way around in a place where the street signs are in a different alphabet."

Many of Lewin's Olympic rivals were training in Athens at the same time as her. Ten Ynglings were there from eight countries. There will be 16 boats in the Olympic fleet. The 33-year-old qualified for her third appearance at the Olympics with her fourth place at the 2002 Yngling World Championship in Switzerland.

One of the challenges facing Lewin's crew has been the integration of Patton, a relatively new member of the team, chosen by captain Lewin to replace Carola Cooper in January this year.

Patton, a 44-year-old corporate lawyer who has taken unpaid leave to concentrate on the Olympic campaign, had settled in well, said Lewin.

"It's great now with Christine," the captain said. "It took us four or five months to gel but things are fine now."

Patton, the wife of Bermuda Sailing Association president Tim Patton, has crewed for both Peter Bromby and Lewin in past Bermuda Gold Cups. She said she had now settled in and was ready for the Games.

"We've been to the venue and got to know the area and we're going back next week," Patton said. "When we go away, it's all about sailing. We don't go shopping and sightseeing, all we talk about is sailing.

"I think we're going to be totally prepared and able to focus on what we're going to Athens to do."

Lewin said the nature of the Yngling itself had also led to some more responsibility for her twin sister.

"As captain I have do make a lot of quick decisions," Lewin said. "The thing I am challenged with is that I'm driving the boat and it's difficult to maintain speed.

"The Yngling is very heavy and under-powered. So it takes most of my concentration to keep the boat at top speed, when I'm used to playing more of a tactician's role. Peta has needed to step up and fill that role with me."

Lewin gave an insight into how the trio spent their days in Greece in their efforts to fine-tune their performance on the water.

"Over the last two weeks, a typical day would involve two to three hours' boat-work and about five hours of on-water training, with some speed testing and some racing," Lewin said.

"Then somebody will go grocery shopping, another will start cooking and then we sit together, with our coach Ron Rosenberg, and have a debriefing of the day, talking about mistakes we made and having a tactical discussion. We get a lot out of that and it's very intense.

"There are so many decisions to be made all the time. And every issue is important. We are three people forced into this relationship and we have to make it work.

"Now we've come back to Bermuda we've wanted to keep out of each other's company for the most part, give ourselves a break from each other. We didn't even want to sit next to each other on the plane home.

"Things have been progressing really well on the water and that's what kept us going. We were just excited to go sailing every day."

Lewin sailed solo in her two previous Olympic regattas, in the Europe dinghy class. In Barcelona in 1992, she finished 21st out of 24 countries and in Atlanta in 1996, she placed 14th out of 28. This time she is hopeful of making a stronger medal challenge.

"I'm really excited and think we have a good chance of doing well," Lewin said. "I'm taking two people who've never been to an Olympics before and I'd like to give it a really good shot."