Bermuda's top sailors saved their best for last in the 2003 Rolex Miami Olympic Regatta in the USA - Peter Bromby withstanding a strong challenge to lift the Star Class title and Paula Lewin winning her final two Yngling races to finish seventh.

Bouncing back from surrendering the overall lead to American Andy Lovell last Friday, Bromby copped second and 11th in the final two races on Saturday to emerge as the true star in the 68-boat fleet.

He and crew Lee White topped the standings with 80 points while Lovell was the runner-up on 100 points and another American Bill Hardesty, third on 108.

Across the waters in Biscayne Bay, Florida, Lewin - like Bromby, sponsored by ACE - was also showing the sturdy stuff of which Bermudian sailors are made as she romped to successive victories in the last two Yngling races. It was a heart-warming conclusion to a see-saw week for Lewin and her crew (Peta Lewin and Carola Cooper) who frustratingly found themselves on the wrong end of officials' calls earlier in the regatta.

Saturday's wins lifted 31-year-old Lewin to seventh among the 24 Yngling sailors with 87 points. American Sally Barkow prevailed with 50 points, ahead of Katerina Giakoumidou of Greece and American Carol Cronin with 57 and 60 points respectively.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette as he prepared to fly home last night, an elated Bromby said he and White were never nervous despite dropping to second place going into Saturday.

"It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride emotionally because we had been doing so well earlier in the week and then we got the black flag (disqualification) and we finished fourth in that race. If not for that flag we would have won this regatta by 50 points which is unheard of.

"But we were still quite pleased with the way things were going and quietly confident that we could do it in the last two races though we had a deficit.

"We were relieved when the first race went as well as it did. We came second which really set the tone for the win. It was a big second because the fellow we had to beat - Andy Lovell who was ten points ahead going into the last day - was 18th in the first race," said the 38-year-old.

That outcome gave Bromby a handy six-point lead going into the final race, knowing it was his to win or lose.

"It put us in a defensive mode for the last race, just making sure that he didn't get the six boats between us and him that he needed because, though there were others that could beat us mathematically, he was the only one with a realistic chance.

"We're very happy. When you look at the people there, it reads like a who's who of yachting and for us to come out on top is fantastic."

Bromby, who also won the Star Class in the 2001 Rolex Miama regatta, complimented the work of his colleague, White; the latter in his first regatta since partnering Bromby in the Sydney Olympics.

"Lee did a splendid job his first regatta back. He has set the tone for Martin in the next regatta," quipped the skipper, referring to his other crew man Martin Siese.

Bromby will next compete in the Bacardi Cup during the first week of March.