in a row.

And she could well have done enough to claim overall honours this year for veteran skipper George Coumantaros.

The 81-foot sloop took a fraction over three days to complete the 635-mile voyage -- the fastest time for 10 years.

"It was an extremely pleasant voyage,'' said Coumantaros. "There was a little discomfort here and there but everyone enjoyed it.

"We suffered no damage, no ripped sails, nothing. We were extremely fortunate.'' Boomerang's speedy voyage was helped by winds which blew up to 35 miles an hour at times. But she was unable to threaten the record held by Nirvana who took just over two-and-a-half days to reach Bermuda in 1982.

Congere , another of the Maxis, followed Boomerang home last night, but she was nearly three-and-a-half hours behind her Class A rival, raising Coumantaros' hopes of claiming overall honours for the first time.

Boomerang led by almost four hours on corrected time at Press time last night, after scores had been worked out according to handicaps based on the International Measurement System.

Race organisers were anticipating more Class A boats to arrive overnight, with the remainder of the fleet expected in today and tomorrow.

Coumantaros' winning 27-man crew included many of the men who helped him to victory in 1990. "Most of them have been with me for a long time,'' he said.

"Some of us are getting rather old, but we'll be back in two years' time, God willing.'' After getting drenched as they crossed the finish line in torrential rain, many crew members got another soaking when they were thrown overboard during the victory celebrations at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

Others were sprayed with champagne as race chairman Dev Barker and RBYC commodore John Thompson offered their congratulations.

Coumantaros' son John and his son-in-law John Katsaounis were among Boomerang's winning crew along with navigator Robert Hale, watch captain and tactician Tom McLaughlin, watch captain Peter Conrad and cook Alex Wadson.

Jeff Neuberth, Richie Boyd, Tom Rich, John Fisher, Richie Collins, Pat Kennedy, Chuck Kemp, Mike Sullivan, Conn Findlay, Steve Gill, Chan Reis, Mike van Beuren, Fernando Larrey, Alden Anderson, Patrick Smart, Chuck Angell, Nick Larrey, Hugh Symonds, Tom Arena and Jay Stanley completed the picture.

IN A CLASS OF HER OWN -- Boomerang pictured crossing the finish line off St.

David's Lighthouse yesterday.