Bermuda’s hopes of landing an International One Design (IOD) World Championship crown have been dealt a devastating blow after a disastrous Day Five for Olympian Peter Bromby in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Bromby, a three-time former world champion who had been firmly in the hunt for the podium, saw his title ambitions evaporate following a nightmare couple of races off the coast of Marblehead Neck.
The veteran skipper plummeted from fourth to seventh place overall, now sitting on 46 Net Points. His undoing came in the opening race of the day, where severe complications forced his crew to retire from the contest. The damage proved catastrophic, with Bromby subsequently forced to sit out the day’s second race altogether, registering a costly Did Not Start (DNS).
While it was a day to forget for Bromby, fellow countryman Kelsey Durham displayed admirable resilience to hold his ground in a fiercely competitive middle tier of the 12-team international fleet.
Durham maintained his grip on eighth place overall, taking his total to 51 Net Points after a pair of consistent, hard-fought performances. He navigated the blustery conditions to cross the line in sixth place during the day’s opening race, before backing it up with a solid seventh-place finish in the second flight. With the regatta drawing to its final stages, Durham remains well placed to finish strong.
