A big fleet of 23 boats sailed in the first of three rounds of the GLYC Club Championships last Sunday.
After four weeks of no wind the championships got off to a good start in a steady 10 knot southeaster which picked up as the racing continued.

In the senior fleet, George doctor David Laing and his son, Rory, took line honours in their Fireball in all three races, while the seven-strong Laser fleet jockeyed for second place behind them. George architect Ferdinand Holm, Bill Turner and Alastair Fraser each had a turn to cross the finish just behind the Laings.

The first three across the line in all of the junior races were John-Marc Olivier in a Tera, followed by the Mirror sailed by Seth Young and James Koegelenberg and another Tera sailed by James Hellstrom in third place.
The Sonnet fleet was also very competitive. Tony and Evie Bowen were disqualified in the first race for being over the line at the start leaving Deryck and Barbara Eckersley to take first place in the Sonnet Class in all three races.

Di Turner, sailing singlehanded, came in second out of the Sonnets in the first two races, but dropped to third place as the wind picked up. Two Hobies also took part - a Hobie 16 skippered by John Young and a Hobie Turbo sailed by Alwyn Rose re-velled in the steady wind.

The club championships are scored according to a boat handicap system and after the first round of the Championshps Ferdinand Holm in his Laser leads the senior fleet while Jonathan Rees on his Optimist is coming first in the junior fleet.
The next round of the championships will be sailed on Sunday 5 December.


Singlehanded Sonnet sailor: Di Turner sails expertly in the brisk breeze.