Thursday.

A fresh ocean breeze overnight provided a breath of fresh air for starggling yachts in the Newport-Bermuda Race, giving them the lift they needed and leaving only a handful of slowpokes still on the course.

With the traditional spectrum of flags climbing up the sheets of each boat, it was easy to forget the furstrations that had befallen them because of benigm conditions through the first five days of the race.

Kodiak , winner of the Lighthouse Trophy, was one of more than 100 yachts in port late Thursday afternoon when Governor Thorold Masefield toured about 20 top finishers.

Everything was as it was supposed to be -- even if it was a few days late.

Five days into the 1996 Newport-Bermuda Race, officials were spending their days at the beach and their evenings at the parties.

This year, they were still busy keeping track of the fleet and working out equations for the awards. By Thursday, the main awards had been set.

The first two were automatic, when Alexia captured line honours on Tuesday morning. She gets the Birdseye Trophy -- a cedar and sterling plaque -- for fastest crossing while her navigators -- Ed Adams and John Danly -- share the Mistress Trophy. Ironically, that trophy is named after the 68-year-old wooden sloop that re-entered the race this year and will finish last.

The other award clinched is the Rod Stephens Dorade trophy, which goes to the Group 9-10 winners. That goes to Blue Yankeee , which finished early yestrday morning. The Farr 47, captained by Robert Towse, had an elapsed time of 105 hours, 46 minutes and 24 seconds.

WHERE ARE THEY? -- Manning the St. David's Lighthouse telescope, scanning the horizon for yachts in the Newport-Bermuda Race was Mike Osborne. He was joined by Martin Kenny (centre) and Rob Salmon.