Conner gives a masterclass

As Bosham Man and Solent Sunbeam sailor Roger Wickens drew the ace early in the third race of the Etchells World Championship here yesterday, the rest of the 61-boat pack was being shuffled by capricious easterly winds in Christchurch Bay.

Working his way up to take second place and the kingly court card was the 1991 and 1994 former champion Dennis Conner. The American had been trailing in 15th, but it was highly appropriate that he should score his best result of the six-race series so far. He was booked to give a late afternoon masterclass to the Wednesday session for local children run by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club. Why does he love the Etchells so? "After the Star, it is the next highest level of competition in the world,'' he said.

Unfortunately, the yo-yo sequence was going the other way for Britain's double Olympian, Stuart Childley. Second and then first in the first two races, he pulled spectacularly from 21st at the end of the first 2.4 mile leg to second as his crew dropped the spinnaker to round the turning mark at the end of the second.

But he had a disastrous last leg to windward, choosing the unfavoured left-hand side of the course and crossing the finish line 20th. With the system yet to discard each competitor's worst result, at the halfway stage he still leads overall with another Briton, Barry Dunning, second.

Conner is 28th overall with the man who beat him in 1983 to snatch the America's Cup for Australia, John Bertrand, sixth overall despite being 26th yesterday.

The other Australian in the top half dozen is Cameron Miles in third. Taking the other two top slots are one Briton, Eddie Warwick in fourth, and one Dane, the 1997 champion, Poul-Richard Hoj-jensen.