A 27-year-old graduate student - deemed the underdog in yesterday's Bermuda Gold Cup final - proved to be the greater Dane as he wrested the sailing championship from his more illustrious compatriot.

The sight of Jesper Radich prancing up and down in his International One Design (IOD) and pumping his fists in absolute delight as his team crossed the finish for a stunning 3-1 victory over world number two match racer Jes Gram-Hansen was a fitting crescendo to an absorbing competition.

“This is the biggest achievement of my sailing career. It's amazing I never thought we would go this far in the event. It's our first time here and I've never sailed these boats before,” declared the winner, dripping wet after a celebratory swim in Hamilton Harbour where he competed for the past five days.

In a first-to-three finale worthy of the King Edward VII Gold Cup which was presented to Radich later in the evening, the two rivals gave little quarter. Radich won the first race, Gram-Hansen, the second, and Radich, the third.

Benefiting from a premature start by Radich in the fourth race, Gram-Hansen took command and looked an almost sure winner as his boat rounded the mark and headed for home, about four boat-lengths ahead.

Then the drama began. Suddenly, Radich's boat was gaining speed - closer and closer it came. The lead was shrinking. The finish beckoned. Now, they were tied - but wait - Radich was passing on the inside!

In the blink of eye, it was over as the world number four match racer rolled by with the wind in his sail, upstaging the favourite. Spectators, gathered along the dock and packed onto numerous surrounding vessels, roared. What an ending!

“We thought we were in control but Jesper and his team came at us with great speed, carrying a lot of wind pressure, and they had the momentum to the finish.

“It was so frustrating. It's one thing you don't wan't to see - somebody coming at you and you have no wind. You can do nothing, just watch. We sailed as well as we could but when they came down we didn't have an answer.

“Jesper and his team did a great job. The conditions were so tricky. We knew it would be tough. We led all the races but in conditions like this you also need some luck and today was just not our day,” said 31-year-old Gram-Hansen clearly dejected but happy with his best showing in four Gold Cups.

Radich, who became the first Danish and continental European sailor to win the Cup, never doubted his ability to beat his countryman despite Gram-Hansen's higher billing.

“I wasn't nervous at all. I know Jes well and I have beaten him before. For me, it was just another race against him. We beat him at the European Championships and I feel we are on the same level.

“Yes, we had a bad start and were behind but the second upwind was quite good. We closed the gap a little and we said ‘OK, we have nice speed and on the next downwind we will give it all we got'. On the downwind (towards finish), we were very sure where we wanted to put the boat so we sailed exactly where we wanted to and pushed him to the wrong side of the finish,” explained Radich, recounting the decisive race.

The skipper who led the foursome of Anders Kristensen, 28 (on bow), Chresten Plinius, 30 (trimming the job and spinnaker), and Peter Poulsen, 33 (on mainsail), acknowledged it was easy for him to be calm during that race as he was 2-1 up.

“It's always part of the tactics and psychology that if you are in front you should use it. You can relax. You don't have to win the next race - he does.”

As commentator and two-time J-24 world champion Brad Read noted, “it was an $8,000 race” as the champion won $20,000 while Gram-Hansen collected $12,000. Both vowed to return for next year's Gold Cup.

“It's been fabulous. Everyone cheering and having fun. It's a very good venue but the waters are tricky,” said Radich who began sailing in 1986 and match racing in 1989.

Bromby bows out in semi-finals - see Page 31