In a startling turn of events, Bermuda's top female sailor Paula Lewin found herself on the verge of elimination from title contention at the Women's World Match Racing Championships in St. Petersburg, Florida yesterday.

Impressive showings during the round-robin event on Wednesday that saw Lewin and crew go 6-1 and book easy passage to the quarter-finals, were shattered by yesterday's performance, which proved nothing short of catastrophic.

The Tempest Reinsurance-sponsored team of Lewin, sister Peta, Leatrice Roman and Lisa Neasham, despite operating in favoured light air conditions in Tampa Bay, lost their first four races, with a later victory over Katie Spithill small consolation.

"We won our last race, but that was about it today,'' said a downcast Lewin moments after arriving ashore. "It was just one of those days.

"I can't really put my finger on any one thing, it was always a different issue. They were all very close races, and we analysed it race by race, but I can't say what it was exactly.

"Yesterday we had similarly close races, but we managed to get the better side of the shift or whatever. There wasn't much difference between the two days.

"These girls are good and one little mistake and you're not leading any more.

"The conditions were sort of light again today, which we like, I just didn't sail well ... didn't put on my best show.'' Lewin opened up with a loss against Denmark's Dorte Jensen, the reigning world champion, who avenged her loss to the Bermudian one day prior. That was followed by further defeats at the hands of American Hanna Swett, Klaartje Zuiderbaan of the Netherlands and Marie Bjorling of Sweden.

The Bermudian finally took the gun the fifth time out, edging Aussie, Katie Spithill.

Mathematically Lewin can still make it through to the semi-finals. However, the outlook is bleak, as it will mean her winning both remaining races today, while receiving a great deal of outside help from rival competitors.

Lewin, herself, appeared resigned to competing in the consolation bracket for the fifth through eighth positions.

"I doubt it,'' said Lewin regarding her semi-final prospects. "If we win the next two races we'll be three and four, and only under very, very bizarre circumstances would we go through.'' Still, despite the agony of defeat, the lithe but tough female noted her crew would be going all out.

"We've had a long day getting beat up,'' she said. "But that's alright, tomorrow's another day for us to do the best with what we've got left.

"If we're in the lower bracket we'd like to finish at the top of that, we want to finish the best we can now.'' Leading the charge towards the semi-final are Bjorling and Jensen, both with perfect 5-0 records, while American Betsy Alison is third at 3-2. Lewin's hopes rest with her ability to overtake Shirley Robertson (2-3) of Britain and Swett (2-3), while holding off Zuiderbaan (1-4) and Spithill (1-4).

The Bermudian faces Alison and Robertson in her remaining matches.

Family affair: Sisters Peta (left) and Paula Lewin look down the course for the next `puff' during quarter-final action at the Women's World Match Racing Championships in St. Petersburg, Florida.