Olympian Peter Bromby returned to his usual form in the Great Sound yesterday, claiming bullets in two of the races to get back in the hunt for the Etchells crown.

After a disastrous day on the water on Monday, the defending champion picked up a third in the opener before winning the final two races to move within six points of American Joseph Bainton who remains in the lead after claiming the opener and keeping in the top four for the others.

Three top-four finishes pushed fellow Olympian Paula Lewin up to third with another Bermudian Tim Patton fourth despite failing to finish the third race ? one of four, along with Bermudian Don Campbell and Americans Chris Clark and Danny McCoy, not to complete the course.

Following today?s rest day, the Etchells will race twice tomorrow and once on the final day, Friday.

?This is the fleet racing pinnacle in Bermuda,? said Bromby, who has won this event ?too many times to remember?.

?It?s always a great competition and something we look forward to. The weather has been great and, as usual, everyone is having a great time.

?I?ve always been a fan of this event and look forward to competing in it every year.?

In the IODs, pre-race favourite Penny Simmons stayed in the top five of all three races to move up to second place, still behind Richard Pearce, who won the opening race, by six points. Boat-builder Bruce Dyson, who remains in third overall, also picked up a win yesterday.

With four races left in the J-24s, Canadian Sean McDermott is still three points ahead of the fleet despite his lowest place finish yesterday ? a seventh which has already been discarded from his score.

American Scott Milnes won the final race of the day with Bermudian Trevor Boyce claiming bullets in the first two to move up to third overall, just ahead, although level on points, with fellow local John Nicholls.

Out on the Bravo course, Jerry Thompson remains ahead in the Snipes by two points with just two races left tomorrow after winning the opener although he was over early in the second with Canadian Gweneth Crook taking that one.

Defending champion Malcolm Smith appears to be in a commanding position in the Lasers after winning two of the three races yesterday, and previously delayed results coming in from the previous day showing he won all three races on Monday.

He has picked up bullets in five of the eight races so far and with two races to go tomorrow, he is four points ahead of Brett Wright with Sara Lane Adderley another eight points behind. She claimed the middle race yesterday.