Bermuda's 2007 Pan-Am Games qualifier Sarah Lane Adderley played the shifts to perfection and excelled in light air conditions on day two of International Race Week in the Great Sound yesterday.

On a day which saw shifting breezes force race officials to alter the course midway through the schedule, Adderley would not be denied.

The 1999 Pan-Am Games silver medallist was among a trio of local skippers who sailed consistently and currently occupy three of the top four positions in the Lasers fleet.

Adderley began yesterday on a solid note by scoring the first of two bullets for the day, but then fell slightly off the pace with a sixth-place finish in the second race.

But after having a quick snack inbetween races, she rebounded in style by winning the third race to move from fifth to fourth in the standings, and remain within striking distance of leader Malcolm Smith.

"I can't believe it! It was a good day," Adderley smiled. "The conditions were challenging and all over the place. There were little shifts here and there and if you missed them it was so easy for your boat to just stop."

Adderley captured yesterday's first race convincingly after getting off to a great start. And she never looked back.

"I was right on the money. I enjoyed the conditions but it was still so easy out there to mess it up," she said. "You have to stay completely one hundred percent focused in these light air conditions and it does get mentally challenging out there."

If shifty winds and light air conditions were not enough, skippers also had to contend with wake from passing motor boats.

"There were a lot of waves from the motor boats and so that was a bit frustrating," Adderley said. "And going downwind was challenging because the wind was coming from the left to right and and so you literally had to go straight across the course just to stay out in front."

While Smith failed to grab line honours yesterday, the former European and World Sunfish champion placed no lower than fourth to stay perched atop the leaderboard in a two-way tie with compatriot Brett Wright heading into today's third day which will see all Laser skippers make the first of two drops in the regatta.

Smith was always in the hunt, but had to settle for a fourth, second and a third when all was said and done.

Bermuda's 2005 Island Games gold medallist Wright moved up the leaderboard after posting two seconds and a sole first, but not before digging deep to cope with yesterday's light air conditions - conditions which seemed to suit the veteran skipper just fine.

"The day started out windy but then it dropped off pretty rapidly. But I've been in a lot of light air regattas lately, and so it really helped because I have been practising a lot in this stuff. It was just technical out there today and very shifty," Wright said.

"One moment Malcolm would be in front of me and then I'd be in front of him and then Sarah would be in front of both of us. This thing was just all over the place."

Wright won yesterday's second race comfortably after seeing off a late surge from Smith whom he will accompany to July's Pan-Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"I just had a good start and played the shifts and kept out front the whole way although Malcolm got very close to me on the last downwind," he said.

Still, the veteran skipper could find no answer for Adderley in the first and third races.

"Once she's in front you just can't catch her," he said. "I think things could've been better. But I'll take whatever comes my way."

Also still in the hunt is overseas skipper Tracy Usher who posted two thirds and a fourth to remain third in the points standings.

In the Snipes, American skippers presently occupy the top eight spots with local hopeful Stevie Dickinson holding ninth position after enduring a rocky start in yesterday's conditions.

1993 CAC Games silver medallist Dickinson posted an 11th and 19th position in the 24-boat fleet, but a second place finish in the second race might have given the East End skipper some consolation and a platform from which to build upon heading into today's schedule on the Bravo course.

Americans Augie Diaz leads the Snipe fleet, closely followed by compatriots Ernesto Rodriguez and George Szabo.

Defending champion Peter Bromby continues to dominate the Etchells fleet. Bermuda's 2008 Olympic hopeful currently leads compatriot Paula Lewin — who posted a bullet and sailed consistently throughout yesterday — by ten points with class veteran Tim Patton three points further back in third spot.

Patton produced two fourths and a second to keep his KF Trimingham Trophy hopes alive, and his younger rivals on their toes.

In the IODs, overnight leader and local hopeful Somers Kempe slipped from first to fourth after failing to reproduce Sunday's consistent form.

Kempe could only muster a best finish of 11th yesterday, allowing former world champion John Burnham to take pole position with current world champion Bill Widnall a close second and Urban Ristorp further adrift in third.

England's Stuart Jardine leads the J-24 fleet while day-one leader, Bermuda's own Trevor Boyce slipped to second with third-placed compatriot Pete Ramsdale hot on his heels.

Boyce had to two fourths and a third while a consistent Ramsdale posted a first, second and third in that order to remain in the hunt for top honours.

Consistency was also the order of the day for Bermuda's Jon Brewin who currently leads the J-105 fleet after posting two first with Jon Corless and James MacDonald holding down second and third respectively.

Race Week continues today in the Great Sound.