Cruiser Racing: Aries (Sago) won the first race of the season on May 2, beating Slipstream (Blake Shaw) by 33 seconds, for the Harry Billing Cup.

Seren (Phil Rees) had bad luck, with a fouled prop, so could not leave her mooring.

The gentle SE breeze was enough to sail upwind to North Highcliff, then to a mark ½ a mile from Monkstone, followed by a close reach back home. The next Cruiser race is tomorrow at 10 am.

Dinghy Racing: Seven dinghies turned out later in the day for the midweek series . Volunteer Race Officer Bill Dowell set a port-hand triangular course with the windward mark out towards the Woolhouse, gybe at Monkstone and leeward at Waterwynch.

The fleet got away at 19:00 with Robin Wood in his International Canoe rocketing away to complete his first lap in under ten minutes.

Results: 1st Robin Wood – International Canoe 344; 2nd Jon Nuttall – Phantom 1451; 3rd, Dan Jackson, Osprey 1276; 4th, Peter Rose, Scorpion 1996; 5th, David Plester, Osprey 1328; 6th, Richard Johns, Osprey1232; 7th, John McKellar, Osprey 1330.

Whilst the Coronation flags were flying on Saturday, the dinghies showed their colours for three races in very light airs, competing for the ‘South Beach Challenge Cup’.

Overall Results: 1st, Int. Canoe 344, Robin Wood; 2nd, Scorpion 1995, Peter Rose; 3rd, Phantom 1451, Jon Nuttall.

Thanks go to Steve (Stozza) Stubbs and daughter Jas for foregoing their racing to take on Race Officer duties.