There was a near full list of trainees in the morning learning how to right a Pacer and for a change not getting too cold.

After lunch a reduced fleet, with boats away at the Showdown Series, had a pleasant sail on a relatively warm and sunny afternoon.

The race got away at 13:15 in a 7-8 knot SSE breeze with gustd to 13 knots and a tendancy to swing to the East and then back again with three Sabres and NS14s and two B14s.

It was a clean start except for Norwegian Blue who tried to start on port and had to duck the fleet.

By the top mark it was Phantom ahead of Early Warning with Viva la Vida mostly skippered by Alastair Lord next and Wasabi clearing out from the other Sabres.

As well as Alastair skippering with Darren in Viva it was Axel and Lucas in Bumps and Stephen in Norwegian Blue all prettty new enjoying a nice quiet race.

On the first down wind Phantom discovered the spinnaker had been rigged wrongly and so slipped back behind Early Warning by the wing mark but a drop and quick fix saw the boats quite close at the bottom mark.

Viva held sway over Norwegian Blue and Wasabi was doing so well she was not far astern with a big lead over Loose Change and Bumps and Wind Wizard close at the back.

Up the next windward Phantom passed Early Warning to be first at the top mark however heading for the wing mark on the sausage gifted Early Warning the lead again,

The rest of the fleet held their positions as the wind continued to sneak into the east and back again at regular intervals.

At the top mark the final time Early Warning held a slender lead over Phantom who sailed through on the way to the wing, did a drop at the wing and held on to round the bottom in the lead with an easy single leg to the finish as the breeze was in full east mode by then,

At the line it was Phantom from Early Warning with Viva la Vida about 8 minutes astern and two and a bit minutes ahead of Norwegian Blue and impressively Wasabi next less than a minute astern and almost five minutes ahead of Loose Change with Bumps home not far ahead of Wind Wizard at the rear.

On Handicap it was Wasabi Guy McDougall first from Phantom Steve Miller and Sara Haywood second and Viva la Vida Alastair Lord and Darren Eggins third.

It was great to see our new sailors not only sailing but finishing the race.

Next week is Training from 9:00 and Pennants 5 and 6 from 13:00.