Huge rolling waves with winds gusting over 20 knots -- just the kind of conditions Bermuda's sailors had hoped to avoid at these Pan-Am Games -- left the team in a less than comfortable position after the first day's racing yesterday.

But a magnificent win by Peter Bromby over arch-rival Peter Holmberg of the British Virgin Islands -- potentially his strongest challenger in the J24 class -- in the last of four races ended the day on a high note.

Bromby, needing to finish the 11-race elimination match racing series in the top four to earn a shot at one of the medals, took a huge step towards achieving that goal with a tense victory over Holmberg.

He thus ended the day with a 3-1 win-loss record after a surprise defeat against the Argentinians, but was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief with the win over Holmberg in a match that was crucial to both.

"Three and one with Holmberg behind us is not bad at the end of the day,'' said Bromby, as he and crew Lee White, Blythe Walker and Dennis Correia prepared to head back to the Games Village.

"He's beaten us a few times in the past, so it was nice to get one over him here. Knowing that Holmberg's behind us, gives us a little more confidence.

"We've still got some tough races to go, but it helps to know we've got this one out of the way.'' Bromby must still race against American Paul Foerster who finished the first day with a perfect 4-0 record as did Argentina's Francisco Campero. And there's a vital race still to come against Chile's Rodrigo Zuazola who also finished the day at 3-1. Canada's Ross MacDonald and Holmberg are both at 2-2.

In his first two races of the day Bromby had comfortably defeated Peru and Puerto Rico.

For the rest of Bermuda's team, it was, as Snipe sailor Stevie Dickinson explained "a battle for survival.'' However, Paula Lewin kept herself in medal contention with a third and a fifth place finish in the six-boat Europe Dinghy class. That left her tied for third place with Canada's Susan Emerson, both on eight points.

Kimberley Logan of the USA and Brazil's Marcia Pellicano share the lead with 2.75 points.

In an eight boat Snipe fleet, Dickinson finished a disappointing seventh in his first race and was then forced to retire in the second race with a broken pole launch.

"We decided to come in and fix it before anything else happened,'' said Dickinson, who is sailing with crew Heath Foggo. "It was pretty rough out there. Everybody's having trouble. But we've got to get used to these conditions.

"South Shore's got nothing on this, we've just got to hang in.'' Dickinson, as with all of those in the dinghy classes, will sail two races a day until Saturday.

Malcolm Smith, Bermuda's world Sunfish champion, could only manage two 13th place finishes in a 17-strong Laser fleet, and lies 13th overall, although protests had been filed last night which could lift his position.

But he admitted it would be tough getting back in the hunt.

"This big breeze, we're just not used to it,'' he said. "Up wind I seem to be going pretty well, but off wind I'm losing it a bit. I had some good starts today but I'd like to see the conditions die down. But I don't think that's going to happen. We're just going to have to deal with it.'' Brazil's Robert Scheidt sailed into a clear lead among the Lasers with two first place finishes.

For Bermuda's Laser Radial entrant, Elizabeth Walker, the heavy seas proved a nightmare as she trailed home seventh and last in both races.

Peter Bromby