The evergreen Tim Patton applied the finishing touches to what has been a memorable year of sailing by capturing the coveted Etchells crown during the weekend's National Keelboat Championships in the Great Sound.

Joined onboard by crew Peter Martin and Rockal Evans, the 54-year-old Patton won four of the day's five races.

Patton got off to a slow start by finishing fourth in the opening race but came roaring back by posting four consecutive bullets to finish ahead of Australian Nick Bice – a member of Britain's America's Cup hopefuls Team Origin – and local rival Martin Rezina who placed second and third respectively.

For Patton, victory in the final Etchells series of the year was a fitting way to cap off an impressive year, which saw the Bermudian claim top honours at the Canadian Olympic Regatta Kingston (CORK) in Ontario.

"It was absolutely stunning . . . wearing shorts and a tee shirt in the middle of November. You could not have asked for a better day to race sail boats," Patton said.

"Competition was very, very close and we won because we had superior crew work. I have to admit that I was a little sore on Sunday, but it was just a thoroughly enjoyable day on the water.

"We were fourth in the first race and then the second and third races were very close, we finished overlapped (side-by-side) in one case with Nick (Bice) and the other with Martin (Rezina)."

Aussie Bice, who pipped Rezina on a countback to seize runner-up accolades, won the first race as Patton was slow getting out of the blocks.

Patton clinched the title in the day's penultimate race, leaving his nearest rivals to battle it out for second place in the final race of the series.

"It was just beautiful weather . . . a perfect day with just tiny whitecaps," he added.

Having reaffirmed his status as one of the Island's top sailors, Patton will now set his sights on next spring's Etchells World Championships in Australia.

He placed 34th at this year's Etchells Worlds held in Chicago.

"It has been a great year and the good thing about this sport is that it keeps getting better and better," he added.

Patton's assertion could not have been more profound as legendary sailor Penny Simmons, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Saturday, topped the International One Design (IOD) with wife Sasha and sons Lars and Blair to lend further proof that age is just a number.

Fitted dinghy sailor Somers Kempe placed second behind Simmons while third place honours went to Craig Davis.

Also savouring success over the weekend was former Tornado skipper Glenn Astwood, who captured top honours in the J-105 fleet with crew Leatrice Roman, Kevin McNeel, Ken Lamb, Mike Carey and young Optimist sailor Dimitri Stevens.

Second place honours in the J-105s went to John Corlis followed by James McDonald who placed third.