Bermuda's sailors are poised for a double silver celebration later today.

No matter what transpires in the final event of the 11-race Pan-Am regatta on Lake Gimli this morning, Malcolm Smith and Sarah Lane Wright will proudly take their place on the podium.

Not even a last place finish in today's finale can deny either Bermudian second place overall and the silver medal.

Theirs will mark Bermuda's first success at these Games and more significantly the Island's first-ever double medal haul in a single sport at any international festival.

Despite Smith and Wright suffering their worst results in the ninth and tenth races, as the strong winds finally abated on Thursday, the pair did enough to make today's finish a formality.

In the Sunfish class, former world champion Smith slumped to a seventh and a sixth in the nine-man fleet, while his chief rival, Canada's Oskar Johansson, wrapped up gold with a first and a second.

With competitors allowed to drop their two worst results, Johannson finished the day with an unassailable lead. He has 12 points compared to Smith's 18 with American David Van Cleef in the bronze medal position with 23.

If Van Cleef were to win today's final race and in the unlikely event that Smith finished last, nothing would change. The pair would be even on points but Smith would hang onto silver by virtue of having won more races this week.

Much the same scenario has unfolded in the Laser Radial class where Wright could manage only a fourth and a fifth on Thursday as Canadian Kelly Hand secured the gold with a second and third.

Hand, with five bullets on her scorecard, is now unbeatable on 11 points with Wright on 15 and Brazil's Isabela Maracucci third on 20. No matter what the results today, those positions will remain, given that Wright's second worst finish this week is a fourth, meaning that at most she can accumulate only 19 points -- one less than the Brazilian.

Yesterday, the sailors enjoyed a welcome rest day -- their first in what has been an arduous week in mostly cold and blustery conditions (in stark contrast to the oppressive 100 degree temperatures of downtown Winnipeg). And Bermuda's team took the opportunity to take in some sightseeing.

This morning's final race is scheduled for 11.00 a.m. (1.00 p.m. Bermuda time) with the medal ceremony immediately following. Sports minister Dennis Lister, Bermuda Olympic Association secretary general John Hoskins and team chef de mission Mike Cherry are all expected to make the one and a half hour drive north of Winnipeg to be on hand for the celebrations.

Sailors have long been the frontrunners for Bermuda in overseas competition, but never before have they finished higher than third, nor managed more than a single medal.

Of Bermuda's three previous Pan-Am medals, Richard Belvin earned bronze in the Snipe class here in Winnipeg in 1967 -- the same year the soccer team won silver -- and four years ago in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, Paula Lewin snatched bronze in the Europe Class.

And there have been several near misses. Lewin placed fourth in Lasers at the Cuban Games in 1991, where Blythe Walker and Ray DeSilva also finished fourth in the 470 class. Jay Hooper had a fourth in the Finns in Winnipeg in '67 and back in 1959 H.Brownlow was also fourth in the Dragon class in Chicago.

Sarah Wright's husband, Brett, will add at least a fifth and possibly a fourth to that list when he completes the Finn regatta today. He enjoyed his best finishes of the week on Thursday, two thirds, and now lies just two points behind fourth-placed Cuban J.A. Unrbay Torna. Canada's Richard Clarke has already won gold.

Among the Lasers, Christian Luthi lies tenth after a seventh and a ninth on Thursday and is likely to remain in that position.

As sailing winds up today, other members of Bermuda's contingent swing into action.

Equestrienne MJ Tumbridge, riding Bermuda's Gold, will undergo the dressage test in the first phase of the three-day event at the sprawling Bird's Hill Park on the outskirts of Winnipeg.

Cross-country follows tomorrow with the event concluding with jumping on Monday.

Having enjoyed success against some of the world's top riders in Europe, 35-year-old Tumbridge is quietly confident. Asked whether she considered herself a medal contender, she replied: "You have to, don't you. As a serious competitor, you always want to walk away on top. I am competitive, but at the same time I try to keep my focus and not get carried away. Obviously the competition here is going to be tough.'' A solid start in today's dressage, emphasised Tumbridge, was essential. "If you want to get into a medal position you've got to be in the top ten -- top five would be even better. The dressage has been more difficult for this horse because she is a full thorougbred and she gets herself excited. But we have worked very hard together this year and I feel our chances are very good.

"I didn't call her Bermuda's Gold for nothing.'' Meanwhile, Bermuda's eight-strong bowling squad -- Antoine Jones, Conrad Lister, Dean Lightbourn, Stephen Riley, June Dill, Dianne (Bobbie) Ingham, Darnell Raynor and Pat Price -- arrived on Thursday and immediately headed for the lanes at Le Club la Verendrye where competition begins on Monday.

They practised yesterday and were expected to spend most of today and tomorrow familiarising themselves with the conditions.

Last of the Bermuda party to arrive at the Games village yesterday were swimmers Stephen Fahy, Stephen Troake, Matthew Hammond and Ronald Cowen, along with coach Richard Goodwin.

More Pan Am Games, Page 19 The Wright stuff: Malcolm Smith and Sara Lane Wright are assured of medalling.