the second day of International Race Week.

Tensions were understandably high at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club as rival skippers lobbied against one another and then awaited the rulings of the race committee -- results of these protests were unknown at press time -- with the order of finish threatened.

Most affected was the International One Design (IOD) class where no less than five complaints were filed, one in the morning session and four following the afternoon race.

Of major concern was Scott McLeod's protest against Peter Bromby, the unofficial winner of the second race, and Jeff Salzman.

An incident at the start, where Bromby, Salzman and McLeod appeared to impede one another and to have possibly collided as they luffed toward the line, brought out protest flags on all three boats.

Despite the early setback, McLeod, the first day leader, recovered quickly and stood third behind Bill Shore and Ken Drewry at the first reaching mark.

Bromby was lagging back in seventh place, but suddenly he jumped two places while rounding the same mark, when two boats immediately ahead incurred problems resetting their spinnakers.

Shore, with a healthy 30-second lead on Drewry and over a minute ahead of McLeod and Bromby after the fourth leg, at this point seemed headed for an easy victory. But the Bromby `magic' was in full effect, producing an astonishingly fast two final legs and nipping over the line ahead of Shore.

The triumph allowed the Bermudian to move into a first place tie with Drewry, who held on for third. Shore is third and McLeod stands fourth overall.

The events of the afternoon overshadowed the morning's action, where Drewry masterminded an emphatic wire-to-wire win.

After gaining a decisive edge at the start, the American pressed home his advantage to the point where by the end of the first leg the final outcome was already a foregone conclusion.

Bromby again surged on the final windward and leeward runs, but to no avail, eventually settling for the runner-up spot, with Shore third.

There was some reshuffling among the Etchells class, where first day leader Jeffrey Stall and United States countryman Stephen Cucchiaro, second after the initial race, both faltered, placing sixth and ninth respectively and dropping to second and fifth overall.

Benefiting were Henry Kyhl and R.J. Bartholomew -- the pair are splitting the skippering duties aboard their boat -- who took over the top spot on the strength of a well-earned come-from-behind victory.

Trailing home Khyl was local Jack Outerbridge, making up for a disappointing sixth-place finish in the first race. He was followed by the lone female in the fleet, Patricia Stadel, who jumped six places from last to ninth overall.

The US dominance of the J24s was extended as John Alofsin made it a hat-trick of wins with two more recorded yesterday.

However, it was no stroll in the park, for the American had plenty of company about the course.

George Desrosiers emerged as one of his chief challengers, appearing from nowhere to almost edge Alofsin at the line during the first race and making life difficult again in the second.

Brit Hughes was also in the thick of things, placing third and fourth, as was Doug Clark, fourth and second.

Alofsin now has a healthy six-and-three-quarter points lead over Hughes, followed by Desrosiers two points further back.

Glen Astwood and crew Damion Payne continued to make winning look alarmingly easy in his Tornado entry, collecting two more wins yesterday and seizing a commanding lead over the field.

The Lasers, Snipes, Comets and Sunfish joined the fray and saw Bermudians lead in three of the four classes.

As expected Comet ace Rudy Bailey put on his usual virtuoso performance to notch a pair of firsts as did fellow local Adam Barboza amongst the Laser fleet.

BREEZING ALONG -- Henry Kyhl, right, and Jack Outerbridge battle for supremacy among the Etchells fleet. The former went on to win the race, while Outerbridge finished second.