Green struggles under the lights

Floodlights were needed on the course at Matilda Bay off the Royal Perth Yacht Club as the 12 competitors moved into the 13th set of races in the opening round-robin of the Australia Cup yesterday evening.

Britain's Andy Green was dogged by bad luck on Tuesday, and his lack of success continued as he went into the clubhouse after the second day with a score of two wins and seven losses so far.

It could have been even worse. In the first race of the day Green almost managed to throw away the good work of an emphatic advantage at the start and a lead up and down the first two legs when he struck off to the shore instead of staying on top of Luc Pillot. The Frenchman duly went ahead, only to see Green then snatch victory as he worked a better line of wind down the side of the course he had ignored on the third leg.

Sharing the scoreboard lead on seven wins and two losses after day two were the rejuvenated Peter Gilmour, back on his own home patch and three times winner of the event, and Team New Zealand's Dean Barker, who ignored the continuing battles at home between the all-conquering syndicate which won the America's Cup and the trustees trying to sell the assets from under them.

Barker, who two years ago was the youngest ever to win this competition, which is now the second event on the Swedish Match World Grand Prix Tour, had five wins in a row, which earned him a local bonus of Aus$5000 (£3,200).

Bertrand Pace of France, the winner of last week's Steinlager Cup in Auckland, holds third place with a 5-3 record.