West Riding Sailing Club, Wakefield, Yorkshire

Briefing was held under the ominous presence of the postponement pennant, but by the time race officer Mike Woodhead had completed his performance, real wind was flooding in from the south and the first race got underway only 15 minutes after the scheduled time. Fortunately the forecast 3-9 mph erred nearer the top end of the range with the odd flurry topping that and even rewarding the sharper helmsmen with some marginal planning.

Howard Frear from the home club emerged at the top of the shifty first beat with a comfortable lead and led the first lap of the first race only to come unstuck the second round and relinquish the lead to new Solo Traveller Colin Bradley from Pennine SC.  Those who thought Colin would soon be swallowed up by the regulars were confounded as he gently eased away in the lead chased by Mike Bishop from Sheffield Viking SC and Oliver Dumbleton from Nantwich & Border Counties SC, distinctive in his shiny new Boon with a 5000 plus sail number.

Colin almost came unstuck on the last lap as he and Mike hardened up close-hauled rather than bear away the 30 yards to the finish line.  The wily Oliver, who was counting the laps, went through Mike's lee to snatch second place, but Colin's win was secure.  The consistent Chris Gillard from Sheffield Viking was 4^th, West Riding's James Porter 5^th and Andy Fox from Crosby SC 6^th.

 The wind started to veer during the lunch break, but although the race officer tried to tweak the course, the wind had the final say to give a one sided beat and few overtaking opportunities. This suited Chris Gillard who took an early lead and lapped steadily ahead of Oliver Dumbleton with Steve Denison, from Hollingworth Lake, showing on the leader board for the first time in 3^rd place.  This was the finishing order, with John Webster, another first time Solo Traveller, 4^th, Tony right from Delph SC 5^th and Mike Bishop 6^th.

The course was changed substantially for the final race as the wind veered into the southwest.  Mathematically there were five sailors who could still win overall, with hugely inconsistent results all down the fleet.  It was Shustoke SC's Roger Hopper's turn at the front as he rounded the first windward mark with a bit of a lead over Colemere SC's Tony Hannan, enjoying his brand new Winder in his first open outing since major surgery last autumn.  These two got away from the pack with Chris Gillard, Steve Denison and Oliver Dumbleton also pulling clear as the race progressed.  Tony gradually pegged Roger back, but in a nerve jangling finish Roger held on to cross the line less than a boat length ahead.  Closing fast the trio of Chris, Steve and Oliver were next through with James Porter leading the rest in 6^th place.

Then it was time for the calculator to unravel the overall order, with first place going to Chris on a tiebreak from Oliver, and Steve a couple of points back in 3^rd.