Veteran sailor Malcolm Smith remains on course to defend his Bermuda International Invitational Race Week title in the Laser class.

The multiple World Sunfish champion and former Male Athlete of the Year Award winner picked up two seconds and a third in the Great Sound yesterday to solidify his position atop the leaderboard after five races.

For the past two years, the Pan-American Games silver medallist has ruled Race Week with an iron fist and his current form suggests he's not quite ready to relinquish his crown just yet.

"I'm really the only person who has been consistent in every race so far . . . . but anything can happen and so we will wait and see how things go from here," Smith told The Royal Gazette.

Smith (13 points) currently leads the Laser fleet by a healthy eight-point margin ahead of nearest rival Brett Wright (21 pts) after the first of two drops – but has yet to post a bullet in this year's event.

"I haven't really had any outstanding races," he added. "You really have to pay attention in these shifty conditions but the breeze has been to my liking."

Peter Vessella of USA (23 pts) currently leads the overseas sailors in the Laser class.

Meanwhile, local skipper Somers Kempe has all but lifted the 'A' series title in the International One Designs (IOD) following another dominant display yesterday.

The consistent Kempe (11pts) posted a hat-trick of bullets to stretch his lead over American Hubert Watlington (20 pts) to nine points and on current form should clinch the first piece of Race Week silverware up for grabs today.

Past IOD world champion and Bermuda Race Week runner-up, Kevin Farrar, sits in third with 22 points.

In the J-24 class, the all teenage team of Jason Saints, Jordan Saints, James Anfossi, Lance Fraser and Catalina Sposato fell slightly off the pace yesterday and now trail current leader Tim Lynch by seven-points after five races and the first of two drops.

Defending J-24 champion Trevor Boyce (17 pts) remains in third.

The J- 105 class has a new leader with Bermudian Allan Williams (9 pts) replacing countryman James MacDonald (11 pts) at the top of the pile.

American Ed O'Sullivan (15 pts) is the new leader in the Etchells fleet after toppling Bermudian Tim Patton (16 pts) from his perch. But with only one point separating the top three skippers in the fleet, the race for top honours remains anybody's guess with five race remaining in the series.

Race Week continues today.