Sailing: Although there was little improvement in the weather situation, the overall standings for the Subaru Flying 15 World Championship changed significantly after yesterday's single race brought the event discard into play.

Australia's Rod Beurteaux and Chris O'Keefe have taken the lead with Britain's Mike Hart and Richard Riggs second and Ireland's Justin Burke and Alan Green dropping to third.

The third day of near calm conditions saw the fleet remain ashore until mid-afternoon when a breeze of sorts appeared to promise a race.

In keeping with the pattern of recent days - when a steady sea breeze only mustered strength late in the day - eight knots proved enough to get the 77-boat fleet, plus their classic-boat colleagues, off on race four of the series.

But Burke's prowess in lighter weather appeared to desert him yesterday and a 25th placing immediately used up his discard, dropping the National Yacht Club boat to third overall.

Beurteaux and O'Keefe's third place neatly counts alongside another third plus a fifth in one of the most consistent set of results of the leader group so far.

However, the discard has taken the extreme results out of the calculations for the overall standings and the points gap between the top places has tightened considerably.

While the Australians now lead, less than six points separate them from Hart and Riggs. Burke and Green only trail by less than one point but there is more British pressure behind them and within a few points of their tentative standing.

Husband and wife team Barry and Sue Parkin lie fourth, having dumped a 29th place from Sunday's first race that saw many top boats produce startling results. Steve Goacher and Phil Evans in fifth also have a race win to their credit and are within easy striking distance of the podium.

A 38th for Sean Craig and Stephen Boyle, previously holding third overall, dropped them to ninth overall, their worst standings of the championship so far as they were obliged to count 25th place from Sunday. More importantly, the Dun Laoghaire pair have a 14-point gap to reclaim to get back to the podium but with just today and tomorrow's racing left.

Critically, today's racing is likely to remain light, with improved chances of a repeat of yesterday's light airs - provided skies are clear overnight. Relief is forecast for the final day when fresher weather is expected.