CYRC (Club Youth Racing Circuit) events take place throughout the sailing season, and each sailing club in West Wales takes a turn at hosting an event.

Under the auspices of the Welsh Yachting Association, they are an excellent way of giving young sailors experience of racing against their peers from other clubs on other sailing grounds without any of the pressures associated with open regattas generally.

On Saturday, it was Saundersfoot's turn to host the event, which attracted an excellent entry of three Optimists, 16 Toppers and, for the general handicap race, an assortment of Lasers and Laser Radials.

There were entries from as far afield as Teifi SC, Newquay and Solva, two entrants from Pembroke YC and a mass invasion from the thriving youth section at Neyland YC. Three races were run back-to-back, so that competitors and race officers had a long long day out at sea, the tide being well out for most of the day.

There was particular appreciation of the efforts of Tom Horton who volunteered his own boat and time to shuttle race officials back and forth. Many thanks, Tom, for a valued contribution.

As any race officer knows, class starts where the 'go' signal for one class is the 'prepare' signal for the next class can fall apart very easily and become very fraught. Those newfangled blood pressure and pulse rate meters come in handy. By the third race, the adrenalin was flowing and the delicate starting sequence was thrown into total confusion as the Topper class were guilty of not one, but three general recalls.

Race officers from the Genghis Khan wing of the club, such as yours truly, would have been reaching for the black flags, but fortunately race officer Malcolm Williams is of a more benign nature as befits the occasion.

Results were: Optimist class: 1. Danielle Rowe (Neyland YC); 2. William Thomas (Teifi SC); 3. William Horton (Saundersfoot SC).

Topper class: 1. Steven Beckitt (Solva SC); 2. Douglas Haines (Newquay SC); 3. Ngaire Strawbridge (Neyland).

Handicap race: 1. Emma Thomas (Teifi SC); 2. Laura Morgan (Neyland YC); 3. Michael Corney (Pembroke YC).

Cruiser Race

Yes, that is right - a cruiser race at Saundersfoot on Saturday. Savour the moment.

Great oaks from little acorns grow and full marks to cruiser captain Rolfe John for taking those most important first steps. On the evening tide, three boats contested a closely run thing around the club course.

It was a fine spectacle for the spectators and it must have been great fun for the competitors with close racing, especially at the harbour windward mark each time, and after three laps there were only yards between them.

Results were: 1. Rolfe John; 2. Tony Phillips; 3. John Miller. Hopefully we can build on this and get more boats out and back into the bar.

Club racing

Club racing nearly didn't happen on Sunday with a shortage of wind and patrol crews, but thankfully sufficient of both arrived to get us underway. The OOD set the standard low-wind course - an optimistic Harbour - Monkstone x 9! but the wind died just at the start, leaving the fleet able to do only one lap, exploiting the only zephyrs in the bay.

Govan Berridge, helming his Laser for the first time this year, was first, Alan Lambert, keeping up a very consistent start to the year in his Solo, was second and third place went to the Graduate of Tonia and Julia by the narrowest of margins from fellow Graduate sailors, Trevor Smith and Sarah Boorman.

The season is split into three points series and after eight races the Girls (Tonia and Julie Griffiths) are firmly on top of the warm-up series with a three- point lead from Paul Griffiths (Laser) and Alan Lambert (Solo) a further three points back in third place.

The last two races of the warm-up series take place next Sunday with all to play for at the top of the table. So far this year we have had 27 different boats on the water, with a regular turnout of around a dozen in each race, a sure sign that things are warming up and that club racing is the place to be on Sundays.

Sail Training

Please note that sail training for improvers will be held on Saturday at 10 am. Beginners' training will be held on June 3. Would all trainees please remember to bring their logbooks.

If anyone would like further information, the magic number is 812383 and ask for Tina.

Ancient Mariner