WITH lightning threatening, Ireland's Mark Lyttle produced the first cracking Irish result of the Olympic Regatta when he won yesterday's first race in the Laser class by an impressive margin of 31 seconds over German Stefan Warkalla.

Lyttle reached the first mark just one second behind his rival, and with the rest of the 56 boat class, the largest of the competing fleets, chasing at their transoms. Warkalla held of the 33 year old Irish sailor until the gybe mark, when Lyttle overtook him and established some working distance.

By the finish, the National YC sailor had a lead of more than half a minute over the German. However, Markalla later had a sixth place which gave him the lead, while Lyttle had a 10th placing to leave him ninth overall after four races. The day compensates for a disqualification from Tuesday evening following a pre-start collision with the Fijian representative.

Lyttle's first race of the series saw him finish 30th, which was later amended to a maximum points" disqualification when it was ruled that his mandatory 720 degree turn was insufficient. With an 11th placing in race, the penalty was discarded after the fourth race yesterday to leave in a good position overall place.

Ireland now has four sailors in top 10 positions, although Denise Lyttle and Louise Ann Cole have only had one race in the women's 470 class, as another electrical storm forced a postponement of race two yesterday. The pair had been as high a sixth during the first race, but slipped down to 10th by the end.

Aisling Bowman moves from sixth to eighth overnight after a 14th and a sixth dropped her two places. The Soling keel boat trio of Marshall King, Dan O'Grady and Garrett Connolly have two days off before resuming racing tomorrow, but were lifted two places on Tuesday night when their French rival was disqualified. The Irish boat moves up to fourth overall.