yesterday's Invitation Race at the Etchells World Championship currently underway in Brisbane, Australia.

Under 10-12 knot breezes in Morton Bay, Patton and his two man crew of Brian Hillier and Aussie Nick Kingsmill got off to a decent start, only to get caught on the wrong side of the first wind-shift that buried them back deep in the pack.

However, they were able to mount a fight-back to finish respectably.

The race did not count toward the championship, which officially started today with heat one of a scheduled six race series.

Patton, who is using a craft chartered in Sydney, had to endure a day-and-half drive from the metropolis to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, which is acting as hosts.

Many of the world's premier yachtsman are in attendance, including the likes of champion America's Cup skipper John Bertram, Dennis Connor and Rod Davis, who was the losing finalist at last month's Omega Gold Cup.

"When you see the list of names it's amazing that you have 20-30 guys who are some of the best sailors in the world,'' said Patton, as he readied for the big day.

"What I want to do is beat some of them...or all of them.

"(But) it's the deepest fleet of keel boat sailors I've ever seen and it's going to be difficult.'' Last year Patton finished 29th at the same regatta in Larchmont, New York, but his best ever finish was a fourth garnered back in 1988 when Australia again was the venue.