WITH just one race to go Allen Brown and his crew were last night mid-table in the Melges 24 BMW European Championships.

Their Team Turn-Turtle.com boat crossed the finish line in 33rd, 30th and then 20th place in yesterday’s series of three races in Torbay.

And those were solid performances in the company of professional and Olympic yachtsmen, despite continuing problems with Turn-Turtle’s new rigging after a new carbon fibre mast was fitted just before the series started.

They put the Jersey boat in 27th position overall in a fleet of 52.

But they were eclipsed by a superb victory by Guernsey helm Michael Henning aboard March Hare in the opening race.

The races – each around two hours long – consist of two upwind and two downwind legs and the demanding 12-race schedule has taken its toll on the sailors.

Said skipper Brown’s partner Debbie Podger this morning: ‘Allen’s hoping for a good finish today to get into the top half of the results.

‘There have been rigging problems with the new mast and stays.

The stays have been stretching and so each day they’ve been adjusting the tension.

‘But they’re very happy to be 27th in the European championships – there are professional and Olympic quality yachtsmen out there.’