After a tortuous first three days where a lack of breeze scuttled action, yesterday saw the winds swoop down on International Race Week making for some exciting racing in the Great Sound.

None was more thankful than local Etchells expert Tim Patton, previously stung by a pair of disastrous finishes, who turned things around in the third race with a splendid victory.

The defending champion -- with crew Dennis Cherry and Brian Hillier -- revealed his true form, accurately reading the numerous shifts and combining good sail changes.

"Today we had things much more to our liking,'' said Patton, who had boldly predicted victory 24 hours earlier. "The breeze was up a bit, the boat was going very, very fast and the guys did a super job.

"It was a pleasure to be out there. Just a lovely day for a sail, the crew did a fantastic job and the boat was going well.'' Indeed, it was a far cry from the previous two eighth-place finishes, but Patton admitted there was much work to do if he is to repeat last year's triumph -- his fourth during International Race Week.

Similar showings will be required today and tomorrow if the Bermudian is to stand a chance of loosening the stranglehold American Eric Kreuter holds on the fleet with a paltry eight points -- excluding the allotted drop race.

Kreuter, second during yesterday's race, assumed the top spot as former leader Stuart Ash, on the heels of an 11th-place finish, fell into a tie for third with Patton on 163 points, while Tim Lynch (13 points) slipped into the number two spot.

Lynch, after placing seventh in the first race of the series, collected his second straight third the latest time out.

Asked what was needed to duplicate his feat of a year ago Patton succinctly replied: "Three more firsts. And sail higher and faster.'' Another Bermudian able to take advantage of the change in conditions was Blythe Walker.

Walker certainly did not look like someone competing in his first Race Week as he sailed almost flawlessly in two races, finishing second, in the highly competitive International One Design fleet.

However, the situation could have been much better for Walker if he did not encounter trouble lowering the spinnaker heading into the final leg.

"We went fishing with the spinnaker on the last mark, which lost us a place,'' explained Walker, one of the Island's brightest young sailing hopes.

We were leading the race at that point and it was a definite disappointment, but these things happen.'' The loss of position was significant as it allowed series leader and defending overall champion Bill Shore to collect his second first-place finish and first of the Norwegian Series `B'. Shore had already claimed the Bermuda Race Week Championship `A' Series a day earlier for the second year in a row.

"We have to just continue to sail our best. Anything can happen, the regatta's still wide open with two more races to go.'' Norway's Jan Petter Roed was third in the same race.

During the morning race, Martin Siese sailed well enough to claim second in the `A' Series, while veteran Bill Widnall was third.

In the International 14s, Jay Cross stayed perfect for the week with two more top finishes. Meanwhile, James Kidd is third overall after fourth and third-place finishes yesterday and Roger Smith is third (third and second).

John Alofsin all but wrapped up the J24 class with another spectacular performance. His five-and-a-half points leads nearest challenger Britt Hughes by 111 points with third-place skipper P.A. Allen on 19.

The Tornado class finally got under way and witnessed Pease Glasser grab a pair of victories, while Lars Guck and Sean McCann were second and third respectively both times out.

BORDER RIVALS -- Canadian P.A. Allen, left, and John Alofsin of the United States battle in close quarters during action among the J24 craft yesterday.

Alofsin went on to win the race while Allen settled for third place.