of vengeful seas and a quality fleet to claim the Laser class championship on the penultimate day of International Race Week.

Smith, who entered the day holding a slim lead over visitor James Jacob, nailed the door shut on his rival, posting two first place finishes to cap off a successful, but demanding week, especially yesterday when winds upward of 18 knots buffeted the fleet.

Jacob, however, did not go quietly as he shadowed the local sailor throughout both races off Spanish Point and at the conclusion Smith knew he'd been in a battle.

"It was tough. I got him on the run the first time, but he was a bit faster upwind and then he had a bad rounding and I got ahead of him and just had to cover coming back up the next time. But he was still very fast,'' said Smith, also the reigning world champion in the Sunfish class.

"It's been a lot of hard work. We've been training pretty hard the past six weeks. I didn't have a very good Pan Am Games, so it was something that I wanted to win and I've been trying hard for and it's comforting.

"It was harsh for everybody out there, but you just have to live with it.

It's a good feeling to get out there and win in this kind of stuff.

Smith, after a mediocre first day -- at least by his standards -- where he was fourth in the first race and first in the second, once again was able to produce the goods when it mattered most Since Monday Smith recorded three firsts in four races, including three in succession to close out the competition, totalling six points, compared to 10 for Jacob and Colin Symes' 123 .

"I've been getting some good starts all week,'' noted Smith. "I made a mistake on the second day where I rounded one mark and started coming downwind and I lost six boats on what was supposed to be a short reach and that was a big mistake.

"If I would have held onto that I wouldn't have had to race the last race, but overall I had really good boat speed upwind and was consistent all week.

Right now I'm on top of my game in the boats and I'm really happy with my finishes.'' Smith now has his sights set on competing at a number of overseas pre-Olympic and other regattas in preparation for next year's Summer Games in Savannah, Georgia.

While Smith was neatly wrapping his Laser prize, Bahamian Donny Martinborough was similarly putting the finishing touches on his 10th victory among the Sunfish class, against the best wishes of chief rival Paula Lewin.

Martinborough, who has virtually made the event his own over the years, came out gunning early and clinched the series championship by winning the first of the day's two races ahead of Lewin.

Lewin needed two firsts to have a chance of dislodging Martinborough and although she managed to reverse the order the second time out it was not enough.

"The feeling's great,'' said Martinborough, who once again captured the trophy bearing his father's insignia. "This is now my 10th time winning the championships and that was my goal when I started out here.

"(But) each year it's getting tougher. The Bermudians have gotten a lot stronger over the last five years, producing some very good sailors like Malcolm Smith, who won the Worlds in November and now Paula, who's just doing a superb job.

"It's been tough all week. Despite the outcome she's a hell of a sailor and I can see in the years to come she's going to be a tough one to beat and I'll be looking forward to that challenge.'' Indeed, Martinborough looked with great anticipation toward facing both Smith and Lewin later this year, when the Bahamas play host to the Sunfish World Championships.

As for Lewin, the gritty Pan American Games medallist said she was generally pleased with her overall finish, although she was troubled by errors early on that she felt cost her first place.

"I'm very happy with it, I made some mistakes of course, which I think right now I'm quite upset about, particularly the first day when I was over early and that was one race which really cost me,'' said Lewin, who much like Smith is on an all out quest for the Olympics.

"But I feel good, the last race was really windy and I won it, which is great being the lightest person out there.'' Also standing large among the small boats was another local Rudy Bailey, as he extinguished all challengers in the Comet class, winning the first race -- his fifth in a row -- and with it the title.

And with the championship secure Bailey and crew Sinclair Simmons immediately set off for his home base at the West End, not even bothering to answer the horn for the final outing.

Second overall was Joseph Cann and crew Glenn Frith, while Mark Garriga and Antoine Wingood placed third.

Jerry Thompson took home the Snipes division trailed by Gonzo Diaz and Chris Raab, while Chris Field narrowly clinched the JY15 title followed by David Eck and James Appel.

Among the big boats competing in the Great Sound, John Alofsin, as expected, waltzed away with the J24 title following two more first place finishes, with George' Desrosiers second and Bermuda's Michael Emery third overall.

In other action Tim Patton collected a rare win over Peter Bromby in the Etchells, as the latter was forced out due to equipment problems, while Roger Ewart Smith and Eugene (Penny) Simmons continued to rule the International 14 and International One Design classes respectively.

Photos by Patrick Bean TAKING A DIP -- Donny Martinborough of the Bahamas seen on his way to victory in the Sunfish class. The win marked his 10th International Race Week championship.

BAILEY'S COMET -- Rudy Bailey (left) and crew Sinclair Simmons set their sights on the finish line during action in the Comet class yesterday. Bailey won the race and the championship.