Bermuda Gold Cup champion Johnie Berntsson has added another prestigious title to his burgeoning collection, claiming the EUROSAF European Match Racing Championship in Denmark in thrilling fashion.

Berntsson saw off home favourite Lars Nordbjaerg in a one-race winner-take-all final after a high pressure front played havoc with the racing schedule.

With the quarter-final round robin unable to be completed, the organisers scrapped the semi-finals and put the top two teams straight into finals and the third and fourth-ranked teams into a petit final.

Racing in a DS-37 keelboat, which was slow to accelerate in a faint breeze, the Swede came from behind to eventually drift home after a see-saw battle that went right down to the finish.

Berntsson, who beat New Zealand's Adam Minoprio to win the prestigious Gold Cup last October, described his EUROSAF triumph as "the pinnacle of my match racing career".

And the Swede will be back this October to see if he can be crowned Gold Cup champion for the second year running. The cup begins on October 6, at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, with former champions Mathieu Richard (France), Ian Williams (UK) and three-time winner Peter Gilmour (Australia) also due to compete.

While Berntsson will go into this year's Gold Cup as one of the pre-race favourites, he is under no illusion as to the task ahead if he wants to win for a second time.

"The other three previous Gold Cup champions have proven their skills in the Bermuda conditions and in the IOD (International One Design) will all be strong opponents.

"I think it will all come down to who is having fun and sailing well on the water," he said.

"I think all these teams will make it a tough competition. With such an impressive entry list, it will be interesting to see who will be the winner. Believe me, we will try our best."