Brett Wright saved his absolute best for last in the Laser fleet yesterday. But it still wasn't enough to prevent local rival Malcolm Smith from clinching a third successive International Race Week Championship Trophy in the Great Sound.

Wright won two of yesterday's final three races to keep his hopes alive heading down to the wire. But Smith did exactly what he had to do in posting two seconds to comfortably retain his Race Week title by two points with one race to spare.

"Basically what I wanted to do was start close to Brett because he was the only one who could reel me in with three races to go. Going in with 11 points, I had a five-point cushion to work with and so I was aiming for four points," Smith explained.

"So if Brett was to win the first two races, then I wanted to be in second, and that's basically what I achieved today. But Brett did a great job in winning both races."

Things didn't really heat up in the first race until the last beat which saw Wright attempt to force Smith back in the fleet.

"He was trying to push me back and get someone between him and me to get that extra point. But I managed to hold of the third guy (Tracy Usher) and the three of us just tacked for tack up the last beat," Smith added.

With the title now all but sealed, the former European and World Sunfish champion quickly sewed things up by posting another second in the regatta's penultimate race to put paid to Wright's spirited last gasp revival.

"Race two was almost identical and that was pretty much it," Smith said.

The Pan-Am Games-bound skipper started but didn't complete yesterday's final race and instead headed downwind into shore to be greeted by well-wishers who absorbed all of the action at the Spanish Point Boat Club.

Smith said: "The starts today were pretty basic and the race committee set good lines. I think it's been a really good series and it was good to have someone else in the mix."

Wright finished second overall while American Usher placed third.

"Tracy sailed very good and just got better as the week went on. He figured it all out pretty good and I think Sarah Lane (Adderley) sailed a good regatta as well," Smith said.

Yesterday's white water conditions again didn't suit Adderley. But that didn't prevent her from placing a creditable fourth in a competitive fleet.

"Sarah sails with us all of the time and so she knows what we are like," Smith added. "I think overall the whole week has been excellent. It's been good for the sailors and your fitness really had to be good this week. I think we are all pretty much beat."

As for his hat-trick on the surf, Smith took victory all in stride.

"Three-peat is really no big thing. It's just like winning one race after the other,"he said. "But it is nice to be able to win because I don't know how much longer I will be doing this."

American Augie Diaz and crew Kathleen Tocke won the Snipe North American Championship. And Diaz had double reason to celebrate last night as he also became a grandfather after his daughter gave birth to a baby girl yesterday.

"I thought I had used all of my good luck up today. But it was a very special day," he said.

Diaz beat out American rival Ernesto Rodriguez by two points, but not before battling to the very end.

"I have a lot of respect for all of the competitors but this guy in particular (Rodriguez) is the real deal. So I feel very fortunate today," said the Miami resident.

USA's George Szabo placed third while Bermuda's Stevie Dickinson rebounded after having a banana peel wrapped around his rudder to claim seventh spot overall.

Also celebrating yesterday was Bermuda's Allan Williams in the J-105s. Williams completed this week's regatta just as he had begun with a bullet — his fourth overall.

Jon Corless also had a first yesterday to claim second place with Jaimie Lewis taking third.

England's Stuart Jardine continues to lead the J-24 fleet with one race to go. Jardine had two firsts and a second yesterday to keep a sizeable lead over local favourite Trevor Boyce and should clinch the Gripper Trophy today.

Another Bermudian, Pete Ramsdale, is further adrift in third but well ahead of Canadian Jamie Storey on points.

Defending champion Peter Bromby is now on the verge of retaining his KF Trimingham Trophy in the Etchells after posting a third and a first yesterday. Barring disaster, Bromby and crew Andreas Lewin should comfortably clinch the series in today's final race but the race for second between Paula Lewin and Tim Patton is anything but over with the latter trailing by a mere point.

Patton rolled back the years and produced his best showing so far yesterday, claiming a first and a second to make considerable inroads and keep things interestingly poised in the fleet with Bromby having all but lifted the title.

Former world champion Bill Widnall is now in the driver's seat to clinch the IOD 'B' series Trophy.

Widnall posted two seconds yesterday to open a comfortable lead over second-placed Urban Ristorp and third-placed John Burnham who claimed the 'A' series crown earlier this week.

Race Week concludes today with only the Etchells, J-24s and IODs in action on the Great Sound.