PONCE, Puerto Rico -- Sailor Stevie Dickinson has made the worst possible start in his quest for a medal in the Snipe class at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Fajardo -- with a non-start and a disqualification in the first two races.

Results were late coming out of the seaside port last night after six protests were heard with Peter Bromby in the J24 class also having a disqualification in yesterday's racing.

The disqualifications leave two of the Island's medal hopefuls in seventh and eighth place in their respective classes. On a positive note Glen Astwood, who continues to hold his own in the Hobie 16 class and Malcolm Smith, after two straight third-place showings in the Lasers, have strengthened their bids for medals.

Astwood is fifth in his class after a seventh in yesterday's fourth race and has 39.70 points while Smith's second consecutive third in the 19-boat Laser class has lifted him to fifth.

Smith started the regatta with ninth and eighth-place showings, but has made steady progress since then and sits on 40.40 points, almost 14 points out of third place with three races remaining after today's rest day.

The leader in that class is Cuba's Osvaldo Padron with three straight firsts and a ninth for 15 points, while countryman Jose Urbay is second on 25 points.

He also had a bad finish yesterday, 10th, and now the class is wide open with Paulus Dielemans in third place on 26.70.

For Dickinson, it has not been a happy regatta so far. The class started without him and the Bahamian entry on Tuesday because their boats were still on the way, so they both collected 14 points for the non-start. Yesterday's disqualification of Dickinson leaves him on 28 points and in last place in the class, which now has seven boats from four countries -- three from Puerto Rico and two from Cuba.

"We agreed on cancelling the first two races, but we proceeded as normal on Tuesday,'' said a spokesman at the Marina Puerto Del Rey where the races are being held.

"The boats arrived on Tuesday afternoon, too late for Tuesday's race, but all the boats did go out today. Four races constitute a series, but we are going to have five races, taking a break tomorrow (today) and racing again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.'' Back in the Hobie 16 class, Jay Kempe stands ninth going into the last three races.

Bermuda's women's hockey team suffered their biggest loss yesterday when they went down 5-0 to Trinidad and Tobago. The loss effectively ended their hopes of a top-four finish as they will take on unbeaten Cuba in their final match tomorrow. The men play their final match today against Trinidad and Tobago.

Like the women, they have lost all of their matches and have yet to score a goal.

Today is also the final day of competition for the swimmers when they compete in the 4x100 medley relay this evening. Yesterday, Geri Mewett and Ian Raynor, in the 50 freestyle, and Jenny Smatt, in the 200 individual medley, reached the finals.

Mewett was fourth in the final in 24.21 with Raynor eighth in 24.80. The final was won by Francisco Sanchez of Venezuela in a Games record time of 23.40 while Ricky Busquez of Puerto Rico, Mewett's college team-mate, was second in 23.54 and Nelson Vargas of Mexico third in 24.12.

Smatt, the eighth qualifier in the heats, was last in her final in a time of 2:34.15. The winning time was 2:24.88 by Sonia Alvarez of Puerto Rico.

Bermuda's two track and field competitors, Kavin Smith and Terrylynn Paynter, both compete tonight in the 5,000 metres and javelin events. Smith's final position on Tuesday night in the 10,000 metres was confirmed as fourth and not fifth as previously reported.

Tennis players Donald Evans and Billy Way will compete in both singles and doubles of the Nations Cup, which starts today. Ricky Mallory is scheduled to leave for the United States today.

The three cyclists, Clark Tear, Mike Lee and Dana Henry, will compete in the 106-mile road race on Saturday.

STEADY PROGRESS -- Malcolm Smith is currently fifth in the Laser class after two successive third-place finishes. The other Bermudian in third is Hobie 16 sailor Glen Astwood. READY TO MAKE A RACKET -- Donald Evans, left, and Billy Way take to the courts today in the Nations Cup. While Evans has already appeared in the singles competition, this will mark Way's first participation at the CAC Games. The event consists of two singles and a doubles with the winning team to first to reach two. The other tennis player, Ricky Mallory, is on his way back to Bermuda.