Bermuda Yacht Club hosted the island's annual International Race Week.

With racing in seven different classes -- IODs, Etchells, Luders, Tornadoes, J24s, Snipes and Sunfish -- an action-packed week produced a wealth of top-quality competition.

The Etchells Class of this year's regatta produced one of the closest finishes on record, when Seattle's David Jones fought back to regain his title.

Jones, who won the event in 1990, had to be content with third in '91 when a boat breakdown ruined his chance of repeat success. But he claimed back the K.F.Trimingham Trophy this year with an impressive final day performance that saw him vault to the top of the fleet.

Lying seventh overall going into the final day, Jones had it all to do, but a high throwout score, coupled with a third and a second in the last two races, was enough to put him level on points with Nina Nielsen of the US at the end of the regatta.

The two Americans each had a first place to their credit, but Jones had two seconds to Nielsen's one giving him the edge.

"I'm absolutely delighted,'' said Jones adding that the uniformly high standard of sailors in the fleet had made for an extremely exciting week.

With six different winners in the six races sailed, the final result in the Etchells Class always promised to be close.

And it was most definitely that. It took two countbacks before the winner emerged and three before third place was determined.

Jeffrey Stall of the US and Bermudians Chuck Millican and Tim Patton each had 173 points after discarding their worst score -- just three points behind Jones and Nielsen.

All three had a first place to their credit; Stall and Millican had a second, but only Millican had a third.

The 1990 International Race Week Luders champion also bounced back to reclaim his title this year with a final day third and second just like Jones.

Canada's George Hughes was also third last year like the Etchells champ. The main difference between the two was that Hughes had a big lead going into the final day and knew that, barring disasters, the 4th Cruiser Squadron Trophy was his.

There was, however, little to choose between the rest of the Luders fleet in the contest for the minor places. Canada's Allan Chandler finally emerged as runner-up -- more than eight points behind the winner.

But he had his work cut out holding off the challenge of his countryman Brian McDonah, and Jim Scott of the US, who both finished three points behind him.

McDonah clinched third thanks to a better countback. Both men had a victory to their credit but only McDonah had a second.

Bermuda's representative David Summers had to be content with seventh out of the eight-strong fleet, but the competition was so close that he was only just over three points out of third.

Things were much more clear-cut among the J24s, with Peter Eastman of the US enjoying six victories from eight races to give him a huge margin of victory.

Runner-up Britt Hughes, also of the US, was more than 10 points adrift.

Those two, together with Bermuda's Trevor Boyce, finished a long way ahead of the rest with Boyce easily keeping hold of third place despite failing to finish the final race of the series.

The IOD result was a repeat of the previous year, with Bill Widnall of the US again claiming the `B' Series after Bermuda's Peter Bromby -- the reigning world champion -- had taken the `A'.

But Widnall's fine performance over the latter part of the week was, as in 1991, not enough to see him snatch the Overall Series.

That honour was Bromby's once again, giving him his fifth International Race Week title.

Bermuda's other hope Martin Siese turned in a fine performance over the closing stages, matching Bromby point for point and snatching `B' Series runner-up spot on countback.

Siese was the winner of the series' third and final race which rounded out a hectic week on the water.

Norway's Jan Petter Roed was rewarded for his fine performance throughout the two series with a third place in the overall contest.

Donny Martinborough of the Bahamas failed to complete a perfect series suffering his first defeats of the week in the final two Sunfish races.

However, with four back-to-back victories to his credit, he was already certain of sailing to his eighth Race Week title.

Another former champion Alan Scharfe was runner-up, with Bermuda's David Frith moving up into third.

Henry Filter of the US leapfrogged Bermuda's Malcolm Smith to take the Snipe title, while Bermuda's other main challenger Stevie Dickinson finished third.

Bermuda swept the board in the Tornado Class with Alan Burland finishing first, Reid Kempe second and Malcolm McBeath third.

The Comets, busy getting ready for the Comet Internationals which will be held here in August, did not take part in this year's Race Week.

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS -- J-24 sailors battle stormy seas during International Race Week.