their summer season over the weekend, competing in the Olympic Classes Regatta in Hamilton, Ontario where they finished third in a five-boat fleet and second among four women's teams.

The event was won by Pierre-Oliver Roy and James Sauter from Quebec.

The local pair were starting out on three months of competition in North America and the weather was better suited for skiing with temperatures just above zero degrees celcius and winds gusting up to 18 knots in the harbour on the first day.

Walker and Spurling moved into third place after the first day, although they held only a three-point lead over their nearest rivals.

It all came down to the last race of the seven-race series in which the Bermudians needed a second place to secure their overall position, and they managed to achieve that goal.

The wind was constantly shifting, making the race a tactical one. Walker and Spurling enjoyed a strong first beat and rounded the windward mark in third place. But they sailed over to the left hand side of the course and overtook the top Canadian women's team to finish second.

The regatta was the first scheduled in the North American Olympic Summer circuit and attracted the top ranked Canadian women's and men's 470 teams who both campaigned for the 1996 Olympics.

Walker and Spurling are training in Kingston, Ontario this week in preparation of the Toronto Olympic Classes Regatta on May 17-19 where a larger 470 fleet is expected.

CORRECTION In yesterday's Royal Gazette it was incorrectly stated that Claire Mancell finished second overall and was the top female in the first race of the Summer Swim Series on Sunday. Alicia Mullan was, in fact, the top female swimmer, finishing second overall to winner Mike Cash.