Bermuda's own Blythe Walker (1-2) will be among those looking to bounce back when King Edward VII Gold Cup action resumes in Hamilton Harbour today.

The past Olympic sailor did not enjoy the best of starts competing in yesterday's blustery and shifty conditions as he lost straight matches to Australian Torvar Mirsky and France's Sebastien Col – two of the world's highest ranking match race skippers.

If it was consolation, though, son of the soil Walker and his Max Re team-mates won their final match of the day against Sweden's Johnie Berntsson to perhaps suggest better fortunes await them.

Walker was sluggish on the starts and was plagued by penalties throughout the day and even when he managed to get clean air on his bow he still somehow found a way to allow his pursuers a way back in the match.

But with his back against the wall the 40 year -old sailor finally got it right in the third match against Berntsson and will undoubtedly look to build upon that inspiring result heading into day two of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour sanctioned event presented by premier sponsors Argo Group.

"We had a little trouble getting off the line to start with, but generally I think the races were good.

"Speed around the course seemed okay but it was very shifty out there today and whoever connected the dots got there first," Walker said.

With four matches to go in the Group One round robin phase Walker must now rely upon other results to go his way while avoiding losing any additional ground if he is to progress in the regatta.

The top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the quarterfinals, leaving the third and fourth teams in each group to square off in a repechage with the eventual top two teams joining the other six in the knockout stage.

Walker finished third overall in 2006 after winning the petite final in front of the home crowd.

In stark contrast, Sweden's Mattias Rahm and England's Ben Ainslie and Ian Williams stole the early thunder and remained unbeaten yesterday.

Both Rahm and three-time Olympic Gold medalist Ainslie posted identical 3-0 records while 2006 Gold Cup winner and defending World Match Racing Tour champion Williams is 2-0 and has a match in hand against American Andrew Horton (1/1) whose boat was one of two that suffered a broken mast in yesterday's trying conditions.

Rahm swept Japan's Takumi Nakamura (½) and Americans Brian Angel (0-3) and Sally Barkow (0-3) who are both yet to win a match.

Multiple British Yachtsman of the Year Ainslie got past France's Damien Iehl (2/1), defending Gold Cup champion Mathieu Richard (2/1) and American Chris Van Tol (½) in that order while Williams was equally unflappable in seeing off the threats of Canadian Erik Koppernaes (½) and American Jon Singsen (0/3).

Englishman Ainslie, returning to the World Match Racing Tour following a considerably lengthy hiatus, appeared anything but "rusty" on his debut in the notoriously bulkier International One Designs (IOD).

"To be honest we had absolutely no idea how it would go because we haven't done much match racing this year," he said. "We had never sailed these boats and were a little bit rusty.

"But somehow it all fell into place and we had some great races and the team did a fantastic job today. It was a good start," he added.

Things are tight atop Group Three where recently crowned Troia Portugal Match Cup champion Col, Aussie Mirsky, France's Pierre-Antoine Morvan and Berntsson are all even at two and one.

Yesterday's racing was not for the faint of heart as two boats collided, one of which sustained a nearly three foot gash in her bow, while one crew member required medical attention for a cut to his leg.

There was also one protest pending at press time last night lodged by Kiwi Adam Minoprio who was seeking redress after allegedly notifying the race committee of a broken boom prior to losing against Koppernaes in the third flight in Group Three.

Reigning Gold Cup champion Richard also had an eventful day as he got all tangled up with Ainslie trying to gibe across his rival's bow shortly after relinquishing the lead on a portside layline at the first windward mark.

"It was very interesting at the first top mark. We were in control but made a mistake. . . . we tacked too early on port and because of a right side shift we had had to tack twice and failed to keep clear and I got the first penalty.

"We then tried to gibe in front of them but of course there was contact and we got the second penalty," the Frenchman lamented.

However, compared to Angel, who perhaps best summed up his dismal day at the office with a choice four letter word, Richard's transgressions paled considerably as the former spectacularly rammed his bow head onto the bow of Frenchman Iehl dialing up behind the start and was later deducted a point, leaving the furious skipper in the red at minus one.

"I guess it was just one of those days. We gibed and were really surprised to see Damien turning up at us. Once you start turning these boats it's pretty hard to stop them," Angel said.

"Somehow the timing was just as bad as it could possibly be that when the boats came together we happened to be pointed straight at each other.

"We basically peeled the deck from the front of the boat (Impulse) back about three feet or so. It happens."

To compound Angel's misery he was later deducted a point under ruling 14, a ruling he was forced to take with a pinch of salt."The good news is that I've passed the anger phase, moved into denial and after a couple more rums I think I will accept it," he said.

Yesterday also witnessed two unscheduled visitors, first a cargo ship and then a passenger liner, that momentarily suspended racing as they ploughed across the shortened race course that resulted with teams having to sail six legs in 20 to 25 "puffy" northeasterly breezes.

Gold Cup actions resumes at 9 a.m. this morning in the Island's port of call.