the race committee during the second heat at the Etchells World Championship in Australia yesterday.

In a situation bordering on the absurd, only nine out of a fleet of 76 boats were judged to have completed the race, while the rest were designated as PMS.

Protests by several skippers kept the committee up until the early morning hours, but all were denied even though much evidence, including photographs taken by helicopter of the starting line appeared to show many had been wrongly judged.

"The race committee seemed to be saying that you (sailors) can't tell us how to run our event,'' said Patton, who thus far has not completed a race down under, having been forced out by a crash in heat one.

With most of the leaders included in the confusion on Sunday the event has in essence become a five-race series as each will undoubtedly use the PMS as their drop race -- there are six races in total.

Britain's Eddie Warwick won the race in two hours, 24 minutes and 22 seconds, trailed by Aussie James Willmott (2:24:52) and Stuart Bishop (2:27:19).