Colin Couper's gamble to go against the grain and chart a course west of the rhumbline en route to Bermuda paid huge dividends in this year's Newport to Bermuda Race.

Sailing with a multi-national crew onboard Babes, a Frers Swan 46, Couper capped off an impressive showing when Babes became the first Class Three yacht and third local entry to complete the 635 nautical mile ocean crossing.

Babes crossed the St.David's Lighthouse finish line at approximately 3.10 p.m. on Tuesday in a time of 63 hours, three minutes and 41 seconds to place third on corrected time in the St.David's Lighthouse Trophy Division and 47th overall.

"Conditions were perfect for the boat; upwind all the way," said crew member and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club officer Jonathan Brewin.

"Everything said go west and not take notice of the Gulf Stream. We stayed west of the rhumbline and the winds favoured us considerably."

And so did the food, which the affable Brewin simply described as "the best".

"It was the best food I've ever had. We normally have freeze-dried food but this time around we had roast beef. They even asked me how I wanted it cooked," he smiled.

Remarkably, Babes sailed all the way to Bermuda on a beat without having to hoist her spinnaker along the way.

And shortly after arriving safely on dry dock, Couper and crew were congratulated by former Bermuda Governor Sir John Vereker, who has sailed onboard Babes in multiple Newport to Bermuda Races in the past, via telephone from London, England.

Meanwhile, also celebrating earlier this week was Buddy Rego whose yacht Defiance, a JV 66, was the first local entry to finish the race and 12th overall.

Defiance was the fourth Class Nine boat to cross the finish at approximately 1.08 a.m. Tuesday morning in a corrected time of 75 hours, 13 minutes and 16 seconds and finished 97th overall in the St.David's Lighthouse Division.

Rego's yacht is the former Bella Mente, which was the first yacht across the line in the 2006 centennial Newport to Bermuda Race.

"Our main focus was to beat the other boats in our class. But anyway you look at it, it's a competition and it's nice to be here first (among local fleet)," Babes' skipper Rego told The Royal Gazette.

He added: "It was an upwind race most of the time which was unusual because usually it's a reaching race. It was nice to have wind the whole way.

"It was also one of my most enjoyable Newport to Bermuda Races ever because it happened to be my fastest. That was one of the goals I wanted to achieve in this year's race and getting here as fast as we did was one of the most memorable things for me.

"Fortunately the weather wasn't rough; going through the Gulf Stream was like sailing in the Great Sound. It was really just a nice way to get to Bermuda."

Stephen Sherwin's Farr -Designed IMS 40, Nasty Medicine, was the second local yacht to finish the race earlier this week and third in Class Eight, covering the race course in a corrected time of 70 hours, five minutes and 40 seconds.