Jones captured the International Race Week title in one of the closest finishes on record.

Jones, who won the title two years ago, had to be content with third last year when a boat breakdown ruined his chance of repeat success. But he claimed back the K.F. Trimingham Trophy yesterday with a fine performance that saw him vault to the top of the fleet.

Lying seventh overall going into the final day, Jones had it all to do, but a high throw-out score, coupled with a third and a second yesterday, was enough to put him level on points with Nina Nielsen of the US at the end of the regatta.

The two Americans each had a first place to their credit, but Jones had two seconds to Nielsen's one giving him the edge.

"I'm absolutely delighted,'' said Jones adding that the uniformly high standard of sailors in the fleet had made for an extremely exciting week.

Jones, together with his 1990 winning crew of Bill Irwin and Norman Drangsholt, effectively clinched victory with his consistent performance yesterday, while his rivals fell by the wayside.

"Coming from Seattle we like it rainy with light, shifty winds,'' said Jones.

Nielsen looked favourite for the title after a victory yesterday morning, but it was her afternoon seventh that allowed Jones to get back on terms.

Tim Patton's chances disappeared yesterday afternoon, too, when the wind changed direction and left him high and dry. He dropped out of the race and ended up stuck on a sandbank.

Only Jones and Jeffrey Stall, the race winner, went left at the start, and they certainly reaped the benefits. "We went left, got some new breeze and did very well. Then the wind shifted and we did even better,'' said Jones.

The others, including the unfortunate Patton, went right and ended up paying the price.

With six different winners in the six races sailed this week, the final result always promised to be close.

And it was most definitely that. It took two countbacks before the winner emerged and three before third place was determined.

Patton, Stall and Chuck Millican each had 173 points after discarding their worst score -- just three points behind Jones and Nielsen.

All three had a first place to their credit; Stall and Millican had a second, but only Millican had a third.

The 1990 Luder champion also bounced back to reclaim his title yesterday with a third and a second just like Jones.

Canada's George Hughes was also third last year like the Etchells champ. The main difference between the two was that Hughes had a big lead going into the final day and knew that, barring disasters, the 4th Cruiser Squadron Trophy was his.

There was, however, little to choose between the rest of the Luder fleet in the contest for the minor places. Canada's Allan Chandler finally emerged as runner-up -- more than eight points behind the winner.

But he had his work cut out holding off the challenge of his countryman Brian McDonah, and Jim Scott of the US, who both finished three points behind him.

McDonah clinched third thanks to a better countback. Both men had a victory to their credit but only McDonah had a second.

Bermuda's representative David Summers had to be content with seventh out of the eight-strong fleet, but the competition was so close that he was only just over three points out of third.

Things were much more clear-cut among the J-24s, with Peter Eastman of the US enjoying six victories from eight races to give him a huge margin of victory.

Runner-up Britt Hughes, also of the US, was more than 10 points adrift.

Those two, together with Bermuda's Trevor Boyce, finished a long way ahead of the rest with Boyce easily keeping hold of third place despite failing to finish yesterday's second race.

The IOD result was a repeat of last year, with Bill Widnall again claiming the `B' Series after Peter Bromby had taken the `A'.

But Widnall's fine performance yesterday was, as in 1991, not enough to see him snatch the Overall Series.

That honour was Bromby's once again, giving him his fifth International Race Week title.

Bermuda's other hope Martin Siese turned in a fine performance yesterday, matching Bromby point for point and snatching `B' Series runner-up spot on countback.

Siese was the winner of the series' third and final race, which rounded out a hectic day on the water yesterday after high winds forced Thursday's schedule to be abandoned.

Bromby won yesterday's opener while a Widnall victory was sandwiched between the Bermudian successes.

Norway's Jan Petter Roed was rewarded for his fine performance throughout the two series with a third place in the overall contest.

Donny Martinborough of the Bahamas failed to complete a perfect series, suffering his first defeats of the week in yesterday's Sunfish races.

However, with four back-to-back victories to his credit, he was already certain of sailing to his eighth Race Week title.

Another former champion Alan Scharfe was runner-up, with Bermuda's David Frith moving up into third.

Henry Filter of the US leapfrogged Bermuda's Malcolm Smith to take the Snipe title, while Bermuda's other main challenger Stevie Dickinson finished third.

TIGHTLY PACKED -- This picture, with eventual winner David Jones (US526) near the rear, typifies how close the action in the Etchells 22 Class was this week.