After a rocky start, the sailing season is developing nicely and giving our dinghy sailors an opportunity to tune their skills and their equipment ready for the annual invasion in 'Coppet Week' - Sunday, May 28, to Friday, June 4 - when about 80 visiting dinghies will join 20 of our club sailors for a week of friendly competition. Traditionally, Coppet Week is a family affair, with the races run round inshore courses. A hundred dinghies milling round the bay in the company of fishing vessels and the holiday fleet of motor boats make a grand spectacle, but a nightmare for the race officers. You have to be mad to do it, so why did I volunteer? It brings to mind a cartoon from a previous age: 'If you can keep your head when all about are losing theirs, maybe you just don't understand the situation!' Local sailors planning to participate in this event will find comprehensive details on the club's website: saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk The list of club sailors 'most likely to succeed' in the melee of Coppet Week is beginning to emerge from the club races following the aberration reported recently as 'The Triumph of the Graduates' and not repeated since. There were 11 starters for two races run on Sunday, May 1, with the following results: Race 1: 1. Nick Berridge (Phantom); 2. Paul Griffiths (Laser); 3. Govan Berridge (Laser). Race 2: 1. Govan Berridge; 2. Nick Berridge; 3. Paul Griffiths. The club race on the late tide on Sunday, May 8, was again well attended (12 starters) and finished: 1. Nick Berridge (Phantom); 2. Paul Griffiths (Laser); 3. Leighton Price (RS300). Remember these names. You read about them first in the Ancient Mariner's column in the Tenby Observer. Race officer Tricia Crew set a novel figure- of-eight course - Pendine, Amroth, Monkstone, Harbour - which baffled several competitors. A special welcome to newcomers Robbie Goodwin (Topper), who managed one lap, and to Ben Prestwich (Optimist), who retired - but we have all done that.

ANCIENT MARINER