Somers Kempe and Butch Agnew put in a strong showing in the high-performance one-design Viper 640 sport boat at the Charleston Race Week in South Carolina yesterday.

The pair placed fifth in a field of 17-boats with five top-five finishes.

Skipper Kempe, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club commodore, and crew Agnew saved the best for last sailing in heavy breezes and a strong current that pushed the fleet upwind. They posted two thirds and a sixth during yesterday’s final three races.

“It was a good day of racing in more breeze and major current and I am happy with our showing and our improvement up the leaderboard each day,” Kempe said. “We’re looking forward to coming back next year to win.”

Former Bermuda resident Chuck Mullican also competed at the regatta, placing 69th in the 83-boat J-70 fleet.

Also in action at the weekend was RBYC skipper Alec Cutler, who managed a top-ten finish at the opening regatta of the Melges 32 Audi Tron Sailing Series in Loano, Italy.

Cutler was denied the opportunity of making a final push up the leaderboard after yesterday’s final three races fell prey to strong winds.

The former J-22 world champion, placed seventh in Hedgehog in a star-studded 18-boat fleet boasting America’s Cup and Olympic sailors.

Cutler competed with a well-drilled crew that included Cameron Appleton, a 2000 America’s Cup winner and European, US National and world champion in the Melges 32, and Mike Wolfs, an Olympic medal-winner and Melges 24 world champion.

Appleton, who competed against Cutler at the 2005 King Edward VII Gold Cup in Hamilton Harbour, called the shots aboard Hedgehog as the team’s tactician.

Top honours went to skipper Alessandro Rombelli, of Italy, and the crew of Stig, which included Francesco Bruni, the 2013 Gold Cup winner and America’s Cup tactician.