  We pursue a novel strategy towards a first detection of continuous
gravitational waves from rapidly-rotating deformed neutron stars. Computational
power is focused on a narrow region of signal parameter space selected by a
strategically-chosen benchmark. We search data from the 2nd observing run of
the LIGO Observatory with an optimised analysis run on graphics processing
units. While no continuous waves are detected, the search achieves a
sensitivity to gravitational wave strain of $h_0 = 1.01{\times}10^{-25}$ at 90%
confidence, 24% to 69% better than past searches of the same parameter space.
Constraints on neutron star deformity are within theoretical maxima, thus a
detection by this search was not inconceivable.
