UPPER Tamar Lake Sailing Club races on Sunday May 24.

a.m. Barnwell 2

During rigging up preliminary to the race, there was a lot of talk about 'sea breezes'. This proved to be a lot of hot air (rising vertically), as on the lake it was almost a flat calm. Alan Comber seemed to have decided on a lake drifting technique to rig his mainsail and rudder. (Subsequently it turned out that someone had mysteriously untied his boat from the pontoon, without him realising!)

Ten boats (mad fools), started the snails race with Jane Anderson finding little zephyrs of air to leave the rest behind. At one stage in his efforts to round Dam Red buoy and head up to Middle, Adeney Pooler ended up facing back towards the dam.

Having stretched her lead Jane Anderson then got becalmed at Pinkie Buoy and the rest of the fleet started to catch up. John Buckett seemed to have his own little pocket of wind and at one stage passed Neil and Nicky in the Wayfarer.

When Jane Anderson finally reached the West mark the horn was blown twice to shorten the course to one lap. Stephen Muller and Stephanie Heasman in the Toppers who were well adrift at the back then decided to call it a day and turned back.

A very gentle breeze lifted the boats to get them across the finish line with Jane Chadney just managing to beat Neil and Nicky to the line and with Paul Whybrow following them home.

Result: 1st, John Buckett Otter; 2nd, Jane Anderson Laser; 3rd, Neil Wallace and Nicky Buckett Wayfarer; 4th, Jane Chadney Laser; 5th, Paul Whybrow Laser; 6th, Bob Sampson and Liz Royal RS200; 7th. Adeney Pooler Graduate.

Retired: Alan Comber Enterprise, Stephanie Heasman Topper, Stephen Muller Topper.

p.m. Cup Race 4

Over lunch the sea breezes suddenly arrived with a determination that had racers battening down and even changing to smaller sails!

The race saw the welcome return of Steve Axford and from the start it was a ding dong between Steve and Jane Anderson at the front of the fleet.

The first leg of the race saw all the boats having to make a series of tack to get up to Pinkie buoy and over the three laps this was where those with good senses of the wind shifts made up ground.

Sue Murray in her Topper Topaz played the wind really well and managed to put one over John Buckett's Otter. Stephen Muller also sailed his Topper really well and gave John a run for his money.

A mid-table battle also developed between the RS200 being helmed by Liz Royal and the Lasers of Jane Chadney and Roger Heasman. The battle continued right to the line and it was a shame that the RS200 was disqualified for passing the wrong side of the start line buoy. (A similar fate befell Adeney sailing the Graduate.) Paul Whybrow who had been doing really well in Bob Sampson's Laser capsized on the last lap and was forced into retirement.

Jane Anderson managed to hold off Steve Axford to cross the line first and to take handicap honours.

Result: 1st, Jane Anderson Laser; 2nd, Steve Axford Laser; 3rd, Neil Wallace and Nicky Buckett Wayfarer; 4th, John Buckett Otter; 5th, Stephen Muller Topper; 6th, Jane Chadney Laser Radial; 7th, Sue Murray Topper Topaz; 8th, Roger Heasman Laser; 9th, Stephanie Heasman Topper.

Retired: Paul Whybrow Laser. Disqualified, Liz Royal And Bob Sampson RS200, Adeney Pooler Graduate.

Roger Heasman.