Laser skipper Malcolm Smith held off a late surge from rival Brett Wright to successfully defend his Bermuda International Invitational Race Week title in the Great Sound yesterday.

On a day which saw several boats suffer structural damage after being battered by winds in excess of 25 knots and tossed about in choppy seas, Smith was not to be denied.

The veteran sailor won yesterday's opening race after capitalizing on favorable wind shifts to the right of the course and then clinched the title in the very next race when he notched the first of back-to-back second place finishes, which enabled him to retain the International Race Week Championship Trophy.

Taking victory all in stride, a victorious Smith commented: "All in all it's been a really good week of sailing whereby we have had all sorts of wind conditions. I think the race committee did an excellent job setting the courses."

The veteran sailor revealed his intentions as early as the first windward mark where he led the fleet around the marker and then got a big break moments later when Wright capsized on a leeward run.

"I had been faster than everybody else going downwind and so I figured I could've won the race, but eventually capsized," Wright lamented.

"I was hoping to get three wins today and figured if Malcolm had a couple of hiccups that might do it."

Wright, however, rebounded and won the remaining two races to keep the regatta poised on a knife's edge. But in the end it wasn't to be as Smith sailed conservatively the rest of the way to pull the curtains down once and for all on his rival's glory bid.

"I was in a position to win the regatta and so there was really no need to push it." Smith added.

"I was just content to sail under him (Wright)."

Third place honors went to Stevie Dickinson who had a sixth, third and a did not finish after calling it quits in the final race due to fatigue.

Bermuda's Allan Williams (23) was also in celebration-mode yesterday after pipping fellow countryman James MacDonald (24) by a single point to clinch the J-105 Race Week title. Adam Barboza (28) finished third respectively.

In the J-24 class leader Trevor Boyce (nine) picked up where he left off on Tuesday and has now all but raised the Gripper Trophy.

Boyce had two first and a second yesterday, the lowest he's been all week, and with two races to go has a massive 22 point lead over nearest rival Peter Backeberg (31).

The race for the Etchells title will also be decided today with Chris Busch (29) still ahead of Bermudians Peter Bromby (31) and Martin Vezina (38).

American Dan Faria (10) is the current International One Design (IOD) 'B' Series leader while compatriot Bruce Dyson (59) leads the fleet in the race for the coveted Vrengen Gold Cup with one race and two drops remaining.

USA's Jonathan Telsey captured IOD 'A' Series honors earlier this week.