Gold Cup match-racing in Bermuda later this year were in action in Sete, France over the weekend where honours went to Florida's Ed Baird.

The St. Petersburg sailor took on reigning world match race champion Bertrand Pace of France in the final of the Brut Cup of France and emerged with a 3-1 victory.

The triumph was Baird's first in the current Brut Cup series, which is offering the largest prize money in the history of sailing.

Baird joins Holland's Roy Heiner, winner of the Brut Cup of San Francisco, and France's Thierry Peponnet, winner of the Royal Lymington (England) Cup, in the race for the quarter million dollar prize for the overall champion.

All three are scheduled to sail in Bermuda from October 15-22, and before that in the Brut Cup of New York between September 12-17.

Sunday's match-racing saw Baird split the first two races with his opponent, before crossing the line a whisker ahead of Pace in the third race, which saw the lead change several times.

Baird, who coached Team New Zealand to victory in the recent America's Cup, controlled the fourth and final race to wrap up the championships. In the petite-finals, Australia's Peter Gilmour defeated Peponnet to take third place.

Racing took place on the waters off Sete in identical Beneteau 300 Spirits.

More than $25,000 was on the line in the regatta, including valuable Omega ranking points and Brut bonus points.

Baird pocketed $7,500 plus 100 Brut bonus points. The Brut bonus pool will be split in October with $25,000 going to the skipper with the most points and $15,000 and $10,000 to second and third.