Lewin is on track for Olympic Games

Sailor Paula Lewin believes she's right on track for next year's Olympic Games in Athens after a "satisfying" eighth-place finish in the Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week regatta, writes Sacha Blackburne.

But having spent much of the last eight years match racing, she confesses the switch to fleet racing continues to prove a big challenge.

"It's probably more of a drastic change for the crew," said Lewin, now competing in Yngling class. "It's a physically difficult boat to sail."

Added to the change in vessel, Lewin no longer lives permanently in Bermuda with the boat stored either in the US or Europe, waiting for the next regatta.

"Sailing at home doesn't prepare you," added Lewin, who has now headed for her next competition in Palma de Mallorca off Spain. "The best training is getting some regattas under our belts."

While the Bermudians finished eighth out of 15 in Barcelona, the limited number of races prevented them from recovering from a weak start and an OCS penalty early on.

But their last four races (fourth, third, fourth and sixth) demonstrated their potential for an Olympic medal.

"Every day offered different conditions," said crew Petra Lewin. "I'm hoping we saw enough variety of winds here that it was a good warm-up."

With just over a year remaining until the Athens Games, Lewin says she remains confident of her medal chances.

"It's all about timing and peaking at the right moment," she said. "That's what we need to get right."

It's a washout for ladies at Mid Ocean

Torrential rain washed out the final round of the 54-hole Ladies Invitation golf championship at Mid Ocean Club yesterday, forcing a one-hole play-off to decide the overall net winners.

Massachusetts pair Zita Legere and Carole Connolly came up trumps in the sudden-death play-off, beating Bermuda's Sandy Dyer and Maryland's Mary Simons after both pairs had been tied on 129 going into the final round.

The gross division was decided on the 36-hole results with Bermuda's Diana Diel and Karen Oldham from Ohio (146) winning by four shots over Bea Williams (Bermuda) and Ginette Spinucci (US).

Play in the final round started yesterday but was quickly abandoned as greens and fairways flooded under the constant morning downpour.

Local runners get set for new race

A new race on the road running calendar takes place tomorrow, specifically aimed at local athletes gearing up for the annual May 24 Marathon Derby.

The inaugural RMS Construction 20K (12.43 miles) starts and finishes at BAA with runners completing two loops of a course of just over six miles.

The route follows Serpentine Road to Cox's Hill onto North Shore up Palmetto Road, Marsh Folly Road onto St. John's Road and back to BAA via Woodlands Road.

A number of top prizes are on offer including a trip to the Grete Waitz Norwegian Festival half marathon in New York in October.

The race begins at 9 a.m.