For the first time yesterday and after four days of competition, sailors taking part in the Nautica World Youth Sailing Championships were able to take full advantage of a welcome breeze that was virtually non-existent for most of last week and was so scarce on Saturday that all races were cancelled.

It started out pretty much the same way yesterday with races in all six divisions not getting underway until after 3.30 p.m.

Spurling made the most of the six to eight knot winds and the 18-year-old graduate of Saltus Grammar School finished first overall in the girls single-handed Laser class during yesterday's second race, after suffering a collapse in the first race.

A spectacular performance in race number two saw Spurling notch her first win of the championships after a nailbiting dogfight with Karina Dos Santos of Brazil who finished second. The Pembroke native now stands 17th overall in her class and could climb even higher depending on the outcome of today's final race this morning.

Late last night organisers still hadn't decided whether to include a second race today.

Spurling's coach, Malcolm Smith, said if not for the stubborn absence of wind last week Spurling was capable of finishing in the top 10 of her class.

She fashioned her comeback after yesterday's opening race in which she eventually finished 16th.

"Actually it was kind of dramatic because the first race I was second around the windward mark and then I was second around the leeward mark and I went up wind again and I ended up like 16th around the windward mark,'' said Spurling last night.

"I had lost the whole fleet because I didn't cover them,'' she added. "I was so upset. I told myself that the next time that happened I was going to cover the whole fleet. Now I know what to do.'' Of the second race Spurling said: "I kind of missed the start because I was in such a panic, then I just tacked right and everyone else went left and I caught a lift and then I just went out west and they all tacked and went out right.

"I stayed left playing the shifts and I ended up first at the windward mark and I went downwind and I was second at the leeward mark, but the Brazilian in front of me rounded and she didn't do a very good job so I got inside of her and we just passed each back and forth. Then we went downwind and we were neck and neck. In the last quarter of the run I got a bit of wind and I ended up first.'' Spurling, who competed in the Worlds in Greece last year, described her triumph as the most memorable one of her sailing career. She plans to sail with Elizabeth Walker in Canada beginning next week.

"It was so psychological,'' said Spurling of her race. "This is the first time I've been able to actually realise how psychological this sport is because I was so determined after losing all those boats in the first race. I was going to win the second one, no matter what it took.'' Said Smith: "She really paid attention today and it went her way. She got ahead and stayed ahead and she sailed an excellent race.'' In other divisions, Jessie Cuthbert of Britain holds a slim lead over Barbara Snieders of Holland in the girls double-handed class, with Nicki Crane locked in last place.

Nicholas Rogers of Britain leads the boys double-handed division on 26 points with David Ames of the USA in second spot. Local sailor Duncan Simons continues to struggle and is 20th overall.

Ben Ainslie of Britain regained the lead in the boys single-handed class but will have to contend with Portugal's Gustavo Lima and Germany's Phillip Buchert today. Jesse DeCouto of Bermuda is in 30th place.