as contestants decorated the Great Sound with brightly coloured hulls and gleaming white sails for the opening of International Race Week.

While good for sunbathing, the unrelenting sunshine and five to seven-knot breezes made for less than scintillating racing action, with even the normally lightning quick Tornados reduced to a crawl.

As a result of the unfavourable conditions, where the wind also continually shifted directions, both the morning and afternoon races got off to late starts.

And once started, each rapidly became that of an endurance contest, calling for supreme concentration and tactics by the respective skippers.

The Tornado class was the only group to complete two races within the required time limit -- two hours -- while the International One Designs (IOD) and Etchells had one race count. However, the J24s suffered through two abandonments as Mother Nature proved quite cruel.

Local Tornado ace, Glen Astwood, after crewing for others in several previous regattas, showed his ability as a helmsman, he and partner Damion Payne surging to a pair of victories.

With last year's champions Alan Burland and Chris Nash along with runners-up Reid and Jay Kempe opting out of this week's proceedings, the mantle has been left for Astwood to bear, and yesterday he showed himself to be quite capable of hauling that burden.

Superior starts and familiarity with local wind shifts contributed mightily for the Bermudian, who bettered American Larry Rosenfield on both occasions.

Astwood (one and a half points) and Rosenfield (four) are thus one and two on the leaderboard, with another American, David Lewis (seven), third on account of third and fourth-place finishes.

Meanwhile, defending IOD champion Peter Bromby found the going tough as he laboured on the tranquil seas.

Known to excel in high winds, Bromby found himself precariously placed at the rear of the fleet early on in the opening race. But he and his crew exhibited their poise, steadily moving up the field to eventually place third.

Nevertheless, it was Scott McLeod, taking over the steering chores from Jordy Walker, who emerged as a legitimate challenger to Bromby's throne.

McLeod, no stranger to international competition, seized first blood in winning race one and led during the early stages of the ill-fated race two.

Hard luck befell overseas entrant Ken Drewry and his crew of Greg Mancusi, Jim Drewry, Robert Duffy and former world IOD champion skipper Bill Widnall.

Second to McLeod earlier on, Drewry had built a seemingly unbeatable lead when the last race was abandoned.

Bermuda was shut out of the top three among the Etchells fleet, as the United States launched a three-pronged attack.

Tim Patton, dominant on the local scene, could not contain the trio of Jeffrey Stall, Stephen Cucchiaro and the split team of Henry Kyhl and R.J.Bartholomew.

Increased winds are forecast today, a prediction many of the skippers would hope is realised.

Racing starts at 10 a.m. in the Great Sound for the Etchells, J24, IOD and Tornado classes. Spanish Point Boat Club is the venue for the opening day of races among the remaining classes -- Snipes, Comets, Lasers and Sunfish (noon).

LEND ME A PUFF OF WIND -- Scott McLeod (2) and Ken Drewry (16) battle for the early lead among the IOD class. However, their efforts would go for nought as the second race was abandoned when light winds hindered their progress.