World Youth Sailing Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, after yesterday's racing.

Elizabeth Walker and Carola Cooper placed fifth in their eighth race, thus breaking a string of lowly finishes. The pair had placed 13th, 11th and 12th in the fifth through seventh races are compiling a record of 12-10-8-2 earlier in the week.

Leading the class is the French team of Pauline LeCadre and Laure Fernander, whose 41-point total, with four first has them eight clear of Germany, 10 ahead of Spain and 11 in front of the United States.

Walker and Cooper are 14 points behind seventh-placed Portugal on 96 and will have to battle to hold off Sweden and Australia who are both a point back.

Bermuda's lone entry in the Europe Dinghy Class, Janice Gutteridge, is still finding the going tough as she is last in the 15-boat fleet.

Gutteridge has placed last in each of her eight races, her only finishes above 15th coming when rivals did not start.

In the overall standings, France are the clear leaders with 96 points. The US are second on 63 and Holland third on 62. Bermuda are 24th out of 26 countries with five points. Japan and Ireland have four each.

RACE FOR EIGHTH -- Elizabeth Wlaker, right, and Carola Cooper are only a point ahead of Australia and Sweden heading into today's final races.