The waters off Coney Island have proved to be happy hunting ground for Comet king Rudy Bailey over the years. And Sunday proved to be no exception as the veteran skipper from Somerset successfully defended his Flag Pole to Flag Pole title.

Bailey and crew Arrington Smith eventually won the regatta by a comfortable margin but were made to sweat it out during the closing stages in a classic "cat and mouse" duel with perennial rival Stevie Dickinson who led the fleet for most of the way.

Bailey made a decisive break off Coney Island when he gybed offshore and picked up a favourable lift and then did just enough to cover the battling Dickinson tacking towards the finish.

Dickinson and crew Pat Young took the lead sailing on a beat out of Hamilton Harbour and stretched their advantage to as much as 50 yards on a dead run to St. George's in light and variable breezes.

But Bailey, who is known to thrive in light conditions, never lost sight of his East End nemesis and eventually overtook him in off the shores of Bailey's Bay.

"We both got good starts but Stevie got the edge on me and so I had to follow him until I finally made my move," Bailey commented. "But he threw a lot at me towards the end. It was a genuine cat and mouse battle but I was able to cover him from the front, which is actually what he had done to me most of the way down the North Shore.

"I decided to go offshore looking for clean air because having followed Stevie most of the way down there was no other way I was going to pass him. I needed to break free of the same wind he was in and I choose to go to the north and it paid off. I got a little something extra which gave me the edge I needed."

Dickinson eventually settled for runners-up honours while the consistent Gladwin Lambert and crew Greg Proctor rounded out the top three.

"I was satisfied with my performance sailing in light air conditions," Lambert said. "Rudy and Stevie somehow seem to have the edge on me sailing in light air. But I think I have improved in the last three years sailing in those conditions."

Former Olympic skipper Howard Lee finished fifth behind East End skipper Scott Fox.

Sunday's regatta marked Bailey's first appearance of the season and with the Annual Long Distance Race for the coveted Edward Cross Cup just weeks away his triumph will have boosted his confidence.

Bailey is the current Edward Cross Cup holder.

"I don't know if I can defend my Long Distance title this year, but psychologically I feel I have some edge because I haven't sailed in six months and sailed with a rookie crew (Smith) yesterday," he added.