  We present the results of a high statistics analysis of smeared Wilson loops
in 4 dimensional SU(N) Yang-Mills theory for various values of N. The data is
used to analyze the behaviour of smeared Creutz ratios, extracting from them
the value of the string tension and other asymptotic parameters. A scaling
analysis allows us to extrapolate to the continuum limit for N=3,5,6 and 8. The
results are consistent with a $1/N^2$ approach towards the large N limit. The
same analysis is done for the TEK model (one-point lattice) for N=841 and a
non-minimal symmetric twist with flux of $k=9$. The results match perfectly
with the extrapolated large N values, confirming the validity of the reduction
idea for this range of parameters.
