After her second day on the water, Ireland's Maria Coleman has consolidated her position in the Europe class event by moving into third place overall. With today listed as a rest day for that class, the Baltimore sailor has a chance to prepare for the next, crucial stage of the 11-race series.

Yesterday's results were typically mixed for all the main contenders in the 27-boat fleet, with the exception of Britain's Shirley Robertson, the reigning world champion who escaped serious problems in the tricky light winds. Her opening race yesterday gave her a win followed by a sixth place, her worst of the four races sailed.

Coleman finished third in the first race and 15th in the second. In this latter race, a mediocre start saw the Irish sailor faced with a choice on the first upwind leg - left or right side of the course?

The conditions in Sydney so far have dictated a firm decision to go one way or the other; Coleman's "safe" choice, to short tack up the centre, didn't pay off, as the right-hand side was the correct option. So she had to be satisfied with pulling slowly up to 15th place.

World champion and 1996 gold medallist Kristine Roug of Denmark managed to rocket from 14th into second overnight thanks to a second and a first place yesterday. She now trails Robertson by 15 points and is ahead of her Irish training partner by just five points.

In turn, Coleman is under considerable pressure on the points table at this early stage of the regatta. As many as four other medal contenders are within easy distance of her; consistently high results will prove crucial over the coming seven races.

Also still threatening is the Netherlands' Margriet Mathysse, the 1996 silver medallist and favourite for gold who finished 19th and second yesterday to move up two places into 10th.

In spite of the certain changes that the first discard will bring after racing tomorrow, the Dutch athlete will be facing immense pressure as both her discards will almost surely be utilised by this 19th and her earlier 24th placing.

Meanwhile, Coleman was relaxed and calm speaking to The Irish Times last night. She said that afloat she had no difficulty remaining focused on tactics regardless of her position on the course, while ashore sleeping fully at night wasn't a problem either.