champion Roland Gaebler face a battle of wits and nerve as both attempt to win their second Tornado world championships in today's final race in the Great Sound.

After two races in what Gaebler described as "the strongest winds we have had all year'', the two teams are separated by just three points after the one race each competitor is allowed to discard is accounted for.

Leon and Ballester have the advantage, maintaining the lead that they've held since Tuesday, but Gaebler and his crewman Reni Schwall, who made up six points on their Spanish rivals as gusts reached 30 knots yesterday, are known to favour the stronger winds and the forecast for today is for more of the same.

But Gaebler, who on Thursday suffered a 65-point penalty in a controversial decision by the race committee over a premature start in a race two days earlier, expects a tactical contest.

He said: "He (Leon) has had no bad race, so he can control us. He will probably try to stay near us, even a couple of boats behind us: he is a very clever sailor.

"But I think we have to try everything to get the title. You have to risk things at this stage. In strong winds we have the feeling we are faster than them upwind but nearly the same downwind. So if we can get another good start, who knows?'' He admitted the adrenaline was really beginning to flow. "I hope I can sleep well,'' he joked. "But in the end he has won one world championship and I have won one world championship. You're more nervous when you are trying to get it for the first time. The second time you stay a little cooler.'' However, it would be misleading to suggest that the title is simply a two horse race. A number of boats failed to finish again yesterday, especially in the second race when the wind was at its most powerful, wreaking havoc on several teams' sails and causing a number of capsizes.

Gaebler said: "We were very happy to get through the races because if you break something you can forget about the whole world championships. We could break something in the last race and drop from second to 20th.'' Among those who could take advantage of equipment failure is the Australian team of Darren Bundock and John Forbes. They lie third going into the final day, 15 points behind the Spaniards and 12 behind the Germans. But after a slow start in the first two races, where they finished 21st and unplaced, they have picked up just 21 points from the other five and have not been placed outside the top ten.

The French brothers Mourniac are a further point back in fourth after fine performances yesterday which earned them a first and third place. Gaebler's training partners Johannes Polgar and Cursten Happel are fifth, with Olympic silver medallist Mitch Booth, now sailing with Adam Beashel, pushing up to sixth after again enjoying success in the strong winds that he so favours.

Britons Pierce and Roche enjoyed two top ten placings to advance to 13th but it was a disastrous day for Brazilian bronze medallist Lars Grael, who dropped from third overnight to 11th, failing to finish in the first race and trailing in 29th in the second.

The Bermudian flag was kept flying by Glen Astwood, whose boat lies 45th, and Alan Burland, who is 52nd out of the 62 competitors still in the tournament.

SAILING