The first order of duty was to unwrap the new Pacers and Ross and Tony rigged one and took it for a spin spinnaker and all.

The race got away at 14:11 with three B14s  two NS14s and a Sabre venturing out in a 10-15 knot SSE breeze which went soft at one stage swang about quite a bit and settled back into the SE,

It was an odd start with the boats sailing across on starboard in single file with Phantom bringing up the rear with the exception of Hedge Hog who had gone up wind and failed to get back  by the start. By the top mark it was Viva la Vida just ahead of Phantom and Bang Bang with Buzz close behind and Loose Change and Hedge Hog back a bit. Phantom had a good lead but jibed a bit early and at the wing mark it was neck and neck Phantom and Bang Bang with Buzz and then Viva la Vida. With Phantom's new crew Hamish Lord working hard to get the kite down Bang Bang slipped into the lead and held it at the top mark, Again down wind Phantom jibed early but this time it paid off temporarily slipping into the lead only to still be second at the bottom mark. Up wind there were a few funny shifts and Phantom managed to slip into the lead and at the top mark the race was shortened with a dash back to the finish. This time Bang Bang jibed early and it was a drag race to the finish with the boats nearly level it was Phantom by two seconds from Bang Bang with Buzz next four minutes astern and Viva la Vida another minute and a bit back, Hedge Hog was next closing the gap to 3 minutes and Loose Change eight minutes further back.

On handicap it was

First Loose Change Phil Bloomfield 2nd Buzz Ross Daley and Jack Whittle 3rd Hedge Hog Melinda Lord and Georgia Ottaway.

photos courtesy of Marlene Nichols