Marblehead, Massachusetts, former winner Penny Simmons was still able to make a significant climb in the tables after winning the one race that was held.

The Bermudian, who won the prestigious sailing event in 1985, goes into tomorrow's final two-day race series holding down second place and trailing leader Bill Widnall by just one-and-three-quarter points.

But while Simmons excelled in the mild conditions, defending champion Peter Bromby found it more of a chore to master the light 2-3 knot breezes and finished fourth behind American Widnall, who was second and Norway's Jan-Petter Roed, who was third.

However, Bromby has no qualms over his third-place overall position going into tomorrow's final series. He reckons his chances are as good as any.

"It's a three-horse race right now, anything can happen,'' said Bromby last night. "It's pretty wide open as far as we can judge things right now, we still have a good shot at winning this thing.'' But the reigning champion realises his attempt to become the first Bermudian to win the event twice is being threatened by his countryman Simmons who Bromby described as being simply "untouchable'' yesterday when racing switched from Corinthian Yacht CLub to nearby Eastern Yacht Club.

The absence of wind forced the morning race to be postponed but when there was a slight increase in the afternoon, officials decided to go ahead with the fifth race of the series.

Simmons underlined his superiority from the outset when he built a sizeable lead early and never relinquished it, holding a firm grip on first place from start to finish.

"He simply went out there and protected the lead he had worked to obtain, he wasn't seriously challenged at all,'' Bromby added.

Such was Simmons' lead that he probably was unaware of the hot battle that was taking place behind him between Bromby, Widnall and Roed -- one that lasted for majority of the race.

"It was a head-to-head battle between us. We held a slight lead until the last run when we fell from second to fourth with Widnall overtaking us on the last beat,'' said Bromby, who was narrowly beaten for third by Roed.

One thing Bromby feels that he has in his favour going into tomorrow's final two races is that he will be using two of the better boats -- and he is banking on this to give him a decisive edge.

"The weather forecast is that there could be some possible thunderstorms and far stronger wind on Friday.''