Ben Ainslie yesterday got the gold he's been chasing all week.

In the Argo Group Gold Cup final, the three-time Olympic gold medallist – he also has a silver – the British star defeated New Zealand's Adam Minoprio 3-1.

And he finally etched his name on the coveted King Edward VII Gold Cup alongside a host of match race sailing legends.

Ainslie and his Team Origin crew of Matt Cornwell, Iain Percy, and Christian Kamp, also picked up the first prize of $50,000.

"We had two good races at the beginning today," Ainslie commented.

"There were big splits out there and the crew were helping and we got it right in those two races.

"In the third race we didn't slow down enough to avoid a confrontation with Adam. We have found out some of our tactical weaknesses and the team and I have some areas to work on."

Asked how winning the King Edward VII Gold Cup compared to winning Olympic gold, Ainslie quipped: "Bermuda has a lot better atmosphere and I know more people here."

When he was down 0-2 and carrying a penalty, Minoprio made it a match and pulled a classic match racing manoeuvre to gybe on the approach to the finish, got a luffing overlap on Ainslie and pushed him away from the pin end of the finish line.

Minoprio was barely able to turn away from Ainslie and clear his stern and wipe out the penalty on his tack and make it back to the line for the win. But Ainslie was on his game yesterday and that one win wasn't enough.

Minoprio and his ETNZ/BlackMatch team of Tom Powrie, David Swete and Nick Blackman took the second place prize of $20,000.

He remains the top skipper in the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) rankings and was second in the World Match Racing Tour going into the Gold Cup. Now he's back on top of the rankings and headed for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship at the Monsoon Cup.

Ian Williams of Great Britain and Eric Monnin of Switzerland matched up earlier yesterday in the Petit Finals. Winning two races out of two, Williams took third place in quick order to put $10,000 in his pocket while Monnin's fourth-place finish earned him a cheque for $7,000.

Williams expressed the thanks from all the skippers and crews for the special hospitality extended to all of the sailors by the people of Bermuda.

He especially thanked the teams' hosts who take them into their homes as guests.

"Staying in homes as guests," Williams said, "is just one of the things that makes the Argo Group Gold Cup a unique event on the Tour."

In yesterday's consolation matches to decide the fifth through eighth places, Bermudian Blythe Walker and his Max Re team lost to Mathieu Richard of France representing the French Match Racing Team. Last year's King Edward VII Gold Cup winner Johnie Berntsson of Sweden defeated Australian Torvar Mirsky.

The second matches of the consolations saw Berntsson defeat Richard for fifth place, leaving Richard in sixth.

Walker enjoyed a win against Mirsky for seventh place, pushing Mirsky into eighth.

Fifth place took home $ 5,500, sixth place $4,000, seventh place $2,500 and eighth $1,000.