The first race was a basic windward/leeward and was won by the new pairing of Jim Hunt and Nick Beloe. Just to prove that it was not a fluke they repeated this in the second and third races, over the 'old' Olympic-style course. For these results they collected six bottles of champagne. Hunt must have been grateful to see that Beloe ate all his greens as a lad, as an excess of 6ft 4ins and 15 stone was doubtless a great help in 25-30 knots of wind.
The second day also supplied brisk breezes, but a slight reduction to 20-25 knots offered minor relief.
Hunt and Blow did not have so much of their own way this time, with Mark Upton-Brown and Ian Mitchell winning the fourth and sixth races, and collecting four bottle of bubbly. Hector Cisneros and Lawrence Crispin pushed Hunt and Beloe hard in the fifth race but lost out on the run.
The overnight points after six races had Hunt and Beloe on 4.25, Clive Robinson and Gary Cawthorne second with 24, and Ian Pinnell and Nick Powell third with 26. Upton-Brown was counting a disqualification and so was not showing at the top of the points table.
By the third day the wind had moderated to an exceedingly shifty Force 2-3. This was not to the liking of Hunt and Beloe who scored a 13th and an eight. Upton-Brown got back into the frame with a second and a fourth. Pinnell collected the champagne in the seventh race and a fifth in the last. This was won by Martin Goult and Gordon Russell, who were having a good day with a second in the seventh race.
Many thanks must go to the two race officers, Peter Waghorn and Mike Beloe, who must be congratulated on their courses that could not be bettered, and the rescue teams who had a very busy three days managing many mishaps.
Overall Results: 1st 8685, Jim Hunt and Nick Beloe (Bartley SC), 2nd 8552, Mark Upton-Brown and Ian Mitchell (Hayling Island SC), 3rd 8677, Ian Pinnell and Nick Powell (Northhampton SC), 4th 8676, Clive Robinson and Gary Cawthorne (Burton SC), 5th 8556, Richard Tew and John Ironmonger (Burton SC), 6th 8640, Martin Goult and Gordon Russell (Burchfield SC)