Skipper Alan Williams and crew Peter Shrubb, Mark Henneberger, Leatrice Roman, Rose O'Sullivan and Tom Wadson triumphantly raised the B.W. Walker Memorial Trophy after yet another dominant display in the J-105 fleet.

The 57 year-old sailor picked up a second and a bullet – his fifth of the week – in the Great Sound yesterday to emphatically clinch the title with a race to spare sailing in variable conditions.

It was the fitted dinghy sailor's third consecutive Race Week title in the J-105s and arguably the sweetest of the lot.

"I think we got lucky because I really didn't think it was going to happen.

"We just played the shifts and it worked," Williams said.

Williams struggled throughout the week at the start. But thanks to the fine efforts of a well-oiled crew always managed to find his way back to the top of the fleet.

"My crew have been giving me hell for making terrible starts all week," he smiled.

"I think I need to go back to school and learn how to start again."

Starting woes aside, Williams and crew were consistent all week, finishing no lower than fourth in the ten races they competed in.

"The crew work was good for sure.

"It was good fun and we really enjoyed it," he added.

In the battle for runner-up accolades, local skipper Chuck Millican pipped countryman James MacDonald on a tie-break after both sailors completed the regatta with 27 points.

Also sipping champagne yesterday was veteran Laser sailor Peter Vessella who denied Bermuda's Malcolm Smith a third straight International Race Week Championship Trophy.

The semi-retired Californian resident, who has competed in three Newport to Bermuda races, beat locals Smith and Brett Wright by a single point to the win the coveted title on his first attempt.

But not before playing catch up in yesterday's final race after Smith had cut into his lead to set up an exciting climax.

"It all came down to the last race because Malcolm (Smith) beat me in the first two races today and so I had to beat him in that last race or he would have beaten me for the regatta," he explained.

"But I got a good start and managed to get in front right away and it was relatively easy to control the fleet after that."

Wright edged perennial rival Smith on a tie-break for runner-up honours.

Meanwhile, the battle for top honours in the Etchells, International One Design (IOD) and J-24 classes has gone right down to the wire and will be settled today.

Tim Patton currently leads the Etchells by four points over nearest rivals Ed O'Sullivan – husband of J-105 sailor Rose – and Ben Nicholls. A further four points adrift is Bermudian Martin Vezina in fourth with just one race remaining in the series.

With two races remaining the race for class honours in the J-24s is also wide open with only three points separating leader and defending champion Trevor Boyce from third placed teenager Lance Fraser.

In the IODs, Somers Kempe -– who clinched the 'A' Series title earlier this week – holds a nine point advantage over nearest rival Hubert Watlington in the race for the overall Vrengen Gold Cup.

In third is past IOD world champion Kevin Farrar.

Bermudian skipper Kempe also tops the 'B' Series by a solitary point over Patrick Cooper and Watlington and remains on course for a clean sweep of Race Week class honours.