debate over the penalty assessed to Bermuda's Peter Bromby on Saturday during the final race of his quarter-final series against Kiwi Russell Coutts.

Bromby was penalised one turn when he was adjudged to have altered his course making a rounding of the mark on the penultimate leg and making contact with Coutts' boat. This proved decisive as he lost the race -- and so the series -- by a mere three seconds to Coutts, who went on to win the championship over American Paul Cayard.

"I abide by any decision made by the umpires whether good or bad, but I disagree with the decision made by the umpire in this instance,'' said Bromby at the Press conference, following the day's action. "I also question the position of the umpire's boat at the time and doubt whether he could have actually seen a collision if in fact there was a collision, which I don't think there was.'' Meanwhile, when Coutts was posed the question of whether the crafts had indeed touched the New Zealander simply banged two microphones indicating his agreement with the call.

Overall it was a tremendous showing by the 28-year-old skipper, who wound up sixth out of a total field of 24...and the $4,250 garnered for just over a week's work will not hurt any.