Defending champion Paula Lewin was undefeated after the first two rounds of the Bermuda International Women's Match Race Championship on Saturday.

Lewin of Team ACE shared the top of the leaderboard with Jenny Axhede of /Team Panorama of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Eight teams are vying for $15,000 in prize money and the 4th Cruiser Squadron Bowl.

Racing continues through Tuesday in International One Design class sloops. The winner and runner-up will advance to round one of the Investors GuarantyT Presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup (October 22-26), the second event of the Swedish Match Tour 2003/04, where they will compete for another $100,000 in prize money.

"We had a good day," said Lewin who is sailing with her sister Peta, Carola Cooper, Lisa Neasham and Christine Patton. "In our first race against Sally (Barkow), it was quite exciting, we switched leads three times - we're just happy to have gotten away with a win and the position we're in after the first day."

Four skippers are tied with one win each are Betsy Alison of Newport, Rhopne Island Sally Barkow of Nashotah, Wisconsin, Deborah Willits of Houston, Texas and Elizabeth Kratzig of Corpus Christi, Texas. Klaartje Zuiderbaan of Amsterdam, Netherlands and Sandy Hayes of Scituate, Massachusetts lost both matches.

The top four highest scoring skippers in the Round Robin will qualify for the Semi-Final Round, which is scheduled for Tuesday, with the Final Round to follow.

BERMUDA INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

Results: Day 1, October 18, Two flights of Round Robin:

Skipper, Hometown, Win-Loss Record

Jenny Axhede, Gothenberg, Sweden, 2-0

Paula Lewin, Paget, Bermuda, 2-0

Betsy Alison, Newport, R.I., USA, 1-1

Sally Barkow, Nashotah, Wis., USA, 1-1

Elizabeth Kratzig, Corpus Christ, Texas/Miami, Fla., USA 1-1

Deborah Willits, Houson, Texas, USA, 1-1

Sandy Hayes, Scituate, Mass., USA, 0-2

Klaartje Zuiderbaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 0-2