the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club as early as Wednesday morning.

By Thursday, the optimism of her crew was rewarded when Kodiak was confirmed as the winner of the 1998 Lighthouse Trophy.

The Lighthouse Trophy is a silver and gold replica of the white and red lighthouse which marks the St. David's finish line. It is donated by the Bermuda Government and aside from its actual value, is one of sailing's most coveted prizes.

The amateur yacht racing in the IMS Division with the best corrected time wins the trophy.

Kodiak , a Custom 66-footer owned by Llwyd Ecclestone, arrived at 11.30 p.m.

on Tuesday with a corrected time 86 hours, 48 minutes and 21 seconds. For more than 24 hours, the crew celebrated as if there was never any doubt it would be enough "We knew we were in good shape when we got in,'' said veteran crew member Karl van Schwarz. "The hardest part was waiting for the time to run out on the others.'' "We were confident -- but holding our breath,'' added Ecclestone, 62.

The boat with the best chance of overtaking Kodiak was Emily , which needed to arrive before 3.30 a.m. Thursday to get the Lighthouse. They didn't make it until five hours later.

"We're very fortunate -- and very pleased,'' said Ecclestone.

In addition to the Lighthouse, Kodiak won the Ray Graham Bigelow Memorial Trophy for best corrected time in Class Seven, plus the CCA Bermuda Station Award for corrected time winner in the Cruiser/Racer Division.

And cruiser/racer is definitely what Kodiak is. Roomy inside, with three staterooms -- each with private head -- and a crew's quarters, she is also much heavier than many of her competitors. That allowed the 17-man crew to sail in relative comfort.

Kodiak has participated in four of the last five Bermuda races, missing the 1996 event because she was touring through the South Seas.

Light winds frustrated the fleet through the first five days but Kodiak wasn't complaining. Breezes any stronger and "we probably wouldn't have won the race,'' said von Schwartz, noting the presence of lighter, more nimble racers in the fleet.

"We had a lot of old, experienced guys (on board). We're used to being patient.'' The entire is a close-knit bunch, Ecclestone said. He and von Schwarz, commodore of the Annapolis Yacht Club, have been friends and sailing partners for 30 years.

Unlike many boats, Kodiak never stopped during the becalmed periods, although Von Schwarz said there was one six-hour spell where they moseyed along at just two knots. Apart from minor corrections, navigator Dan Dyer stuck largely with the course that had been plotted before leaving Newport. "The people who stayed east of the Rhumb line were treated a lot better than the ones to the west,'' von Schwarz said. A current between two eddies about two-thirds through the race gave them the boost they needed.

PAST WINNERS 1906 -- Tamberlane 1907 -- Dervish 1908 -- Verona 1909 -- Margaret 1910 -- Vagrant 1923 -- Malabar IV 1924 -- Memory 1926 -- Malabar VII 1928 -- Rugosa II 1930 -- Malay 1932 -- Malabar X 1934 -- Edlu 1936 -- Kirawan 1938 -- Baruna 1946 -- Gesture 1948 -- Baruna 1950 -- Argyll 1952 -- Carina 1954 -- Malay 1956 -- Finesterre 1958 -- Finesterre 1960 -- Finesterre 1962 -- Nina 1964 -- Burgoo 1966 -- Thunderbird 1968 -- Robin 1970 -- Carina 1972 -- Noryema 1974 -- Scaramouche 1976 -- Running Tide 1978 -- Babe (MHS), Acadia (IOR) 1980 -- Holgar Danske 1982 -- Brigadoon III (MHS); Carina (IOR) 1984 -- Pamir (IMS); Merry Thought (IOR) 1986 -- Puritan (IMS); Silver Star (IOR); Condor (Maxi) 1988 -- Cannonball (IMS); Congere (IOR) 1990 -- Denali (Racing Division); Pirate (Cruising Division) 1992 -- Constellation (Racing Division); Freestyle (Cruising Division) 1994 -- Gaylark (Racing Division); Gamelan (Cruising Division); Halcyon (Double-handed Spinnaker Division); Morgan's Cloud (DH Cr. Division); Essence (Geande Voile Division) 1996 -- Boomerang (Racing A); Sagamore (Racing B); Defiance (Cruiser-Racer); Nirvana (Cruiser); Next Boat (Double-handed); Morgan's Cloud (Double-handed non-spinnaker); Simpatico (club cert.) TOUR OF DUTY -- Llwyd Ecclestone (right), owner/captain of Kodiak , gives Governor Thorold Masefield and his wife Jennifer a tour of the boat on Thursday.