Malcolm Smith finished sixth in the World Sunfish Championships after a regatta blighted by the effects of Hurricane Lenny.

A cruel, drastic shift of wind direction during last Monday's opening race affected Smith badly, leaving him with a disastrous 66th place and much to make up in his bid to defend his world crown.

Foul weather in midweek as Lenny passed by the race venue of Ponce, Puerto Rico, allowed only five of the scheduled eight races.

And that meant none of the 102 competitors could drop their worst finish, leaving Smith to carry his 66th and effectively ending his title hopes.

Smith finished with a series of 66-2-3-2-33 for 102 points, while the other Bermudian taking part, Stevie Dickinson, finished 30th with 186 points and a series of 89-42-13-32-10.

Eduardo Cordero, of Venezuela, won three of the five races and took the title with 39 points, while his compatriot Andreas Flebbe was second, American PJ Patin third, Solmar Bermudez of Colombia fourth and Canada's Oscar Johanson fifth.

Smith said: "In the first race, I went to the left side of the course and then the wind shifted 40 degrees to the right. Half the fleet were on the right side of the course and then I had to claw my way back from being in the 80s.'' The Pan-Am silver medallist then fought back strongly with a second in Monday's second race, but bad weather meant no racing on Tuesday or Wednesday.

On Thursday, Smith bagged a third and second, racing on the inshore course.

But in what turned out to be the final race on Friday on the offshore course, another change of wind direction cost Smith once more.

"We started in 10 to 12 knots and I was about sixth or seventh at the first mark, then I passed a few boats and I was up to second,'' said Smith. "Then there was a big right shift and I ended up 33rd.

"We never got the type of breezes we were told to expect here and that may well have been the effects of the hurricane.

"It's really tough when you are sailing in that kind of shift, which we're not really used to in Bermuda. Eduardo (Cordero) told me he thought he was quite fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time on several occasions.

"It was something I was not quite ready for and perhaps I did not get there to practise on the course early enough.'' Smith denied having any intention of giving up international competition, adding: "I'm not finished by a long way and I will continue going to Sunfish World Championships.'' Malcolm Smith: lost his world sunfish crown in a regatta cut short by foul weather.