Johnie Berntsson won the prestigious Bermuda Gold Cup for the second straight year and fourth time overall after edging rival Eric Monnin 2-1 in the final in Hamilton Harbour yesterday.

With the first-to-two points series contested in notoriously light and shifty breeze and the pair deadlocked at 1-1, the Swede took the third and deciding race by the closest of margins to seal victory.

“We were so happy to get out with that win,” an elated Berntsson told The Royal Gazette.

“We have close races but today with the shifty conditions and sailing against Eric and his crew, they gave us such strong competition it just ended up in the last race and 15 metres from the goal, so it can’t be any more close.”

The decisive moment arrived at the end of a closely fought tactical battle just in front of the finish line when Monnin was hit with a penalty for failing to steer clear of leader Berntsson as he executed a penalty turn before crossing to clinch the title.

“They needed to jibe and we hooked them up there and got the penalty and that was great,” Berntsson said.

“We were very close to taking the penalty on the second upwind but we chose not to because it felt insecure. Then we came into the last downwind but they closed the gap so again we were not able to take the penalty there.”

Berntsson was tagged with a penalty after failing to stay clear of Monnin as the pair rounded the top mark on the first windward beat.

“That was so close that we could just squeeze around for the lead but then we lost it,” Berntsson said. “But we came back and rolled them on the downwind, passed them and extended.”

Berntsson won the first race convincingly but Monnin came roaring back to take the second and send the series right down to the wire.

“That was a tough one, which they won quite comfortably,” Berntsson said.

The loss against Berntsson in the final left Monnin to again ponder what might have been.

“We had the win there and just had to grab it but we did probably one of our most stupid moves of the season, so that hurts a bit,” the Swiss helmsman said.

“It’s good that we were in the position where we should not have lost it but we did, so we have to work on the finish in the last race and not crack under pressure.

“Other than that it was such a great week. We were quite convincing all the time except this last race on the two downwinds.”

Nick Egnot-Johnson, of New Zealand, finished third overall after defeating American rival Chris Poole 1-0 in the Petite final.

“Last year we ended up seventh and this year we ended up third so we are really happy with that result for sure,” Egnot-Johnson said.

Flying the Bermuda banner this year was Kelsey Durham, who was eliminated in the quarter-final after losing to eventual winner Berntsson.