With the best wind of the last four days, the British team of Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell finished in first place redeeming themselves from a first day race disqualification for an early start. The former World champions took an early lead and held it through the finish line.

Percy said: “We tacked across the fleet and managed to get ahead and stay ahead. Normally the easiest race is when you get in front, but that wasn’t the case today. The fleet kept closing the gaps, but we were able to pull ahead at the end.”

Teh previous day’s first place finishers, the Portuguese team of Alfonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos, took second place and maintain their first position overall.

Domingos added:”We stayed left today and had a good downwind after the second mark Our boat speed was not very good at the end, but we held the rest of the fleet off.” The conditions were shifty, but the skipper admitted he likes the challenge. His best Bacardi Cup finish was eighth in 2002. Australian world champions Colin Beashel and crew David Giles finished in third place and are currently fourth overall.

Former Olympians Mark Reynolds and crew Steve Erickson made a comeback with a fourth place finish. Reynolds is in a two-way tie with Ding Schoomaker of Naples for six Bacardi Cup wins.

Swedish world champion Freddy Loof and crew Anders Ekstrom and five-time Bacardi Cup champion Vince Brun and his crew Mike Dorgan were among four boats that did not start the race. Skipper Paul Cayard, a former Whitbread Round the World Race winner and participant in five America’s Cups is bowing out of the race after a 12 place finish to go home and visit his family before the US Olympic trials. The Bacardi Cup continues through Friday, 12 March.

Results race four

1. Iain Percy/Steve Mitchell (UK)

2. Afonso Domingos/Bernardo Santos (Portugal)

3. Colin Beashel/David Giles (Australia)

4. Mark Reynolds/Steve Erickson (USA)

5. Ross Macdonald/Mike Wolfs (Canada)

6. Eric Doyle/Brian Sharp (USA)

7. Michael Koch/Markus Koy (Germany)

8. Howie Shiebler/Will Stout (USA)

9. Rick Merriman/Bill Bennett (USA)

10. Andy Macdonald/Austin Sperry (USA)

Overall results (after four races)

1. Alfonso Domingos/Bernardo Santos (Portugal), 7-7-1-2,17

2. Ross Macdonald/Mike Wolfs (Canada),3-13-5-5,26

3. Howie Shiebler/Will Stout (USA), 26-5-4-8,43

4. Colin Beashel/David Giles (Australia),15-10-16-3,44

5. Peter Bromby/Lee White (Bermuda),18-1-13-17,49

6. Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria (Switzerland),9-4-24-22,59

7. Michael Koch/Markus Koy (Germany),11-19-35-7,72

8. Andy Macdonald/Austin Sperry (USA),19-20-28-10,77

9. Jali Makila/Erkki Heinonen (Finland),29-17-18-13,77

10. Hans Spitzauer/Andreas Hanakamp (Austria),8-51-2-20,81