The westerly winds were at their lightest when the Thurne Mouth Open Regatta started on Saturday. From a breezy Force 3 they increased to nearer Force 4 on Sunday, culminating in a good Force 5 with occasionally stronger gusts on the bank holiday, prompting the cruisers to reef well down.

The westerly winds were at their lightest when the Thurne Mouth Open Regatta started on Saturday. From a breezy Force 3 they increased to nearer Force 4 on Sunday, culminating in a good Force 5 with occasionally stronger gusts on the bank holiday, prompting the cruisers to reef well down. The regatta is now substantially a cruiser event, with over 25 turning out for one or more races. This year the Star class provided the next largest entry, with six participating, although Monday's winds were too much for them to cope with in the crowded conditions. A number of boats did suffer damage in the severe conditions, the most serious instance occurring when Whisper suffered gear failure, resulting in one of the crew suffering a broken arm when the spars descended too fast. Dr Tom Moore, helming another competitor, immediately came to the rescue, as did also Ian Stewart and Anthony Landamore, and the casualty was quickly taken to hospital.

David Frary, crewed by his children and with David Mackley on the mainsheet, proved the weekend champions and indeed a team for all conditions.

Starting on Saturday, the first cruiser race earned the Lady Caroline Cup, notable for a dead heat for third between Anthony Landamore and Richie Dugdale, followed up by the Herbert Woods Trophy for local boats.

Sunday saw him secure the Ames Cup with a first and second.

Unusually, he did not feature in Monday morning's race for the Ollorenshaw Cup, won by Hilary Franzen and Sandy Lister, but came back with a vengeance in the Cock O' the Broads to take not only that trophy but also those for the fastest boat and the fastest boat built before 1950.

Hilary Franzen also won the Eastwood Whelpton Cup, sailing her cruiser, in Sunday's Ladies Allcomers, and Paul Stevens did enough to secure the Frosty Cup, for the best combined results from Acle and TMOR.

As for the Stars, Brigit Shields' win on Saturday proved enough to give her the Grapes Cup, while Nick Eastwood got the Ebbage Jubilee Trophy and Eddie Rudd saved his time over the YBODs and Yeomans to take the Whitbread Lacon Trophy.

Patrick Richardson can be relied upon to put on a strong performance here in his White Boat and this year was no exception. Two wins and a second enabled him to see Mathew Thwaites off for the Tunbridge Cup.

For good measure, he also collected the Arrow Cup on Saturday and, by a mere quarter point, the Vanessa Cup for the best performing YBOD.

The one he missed out on was the Berry Cup on Monday, when Roger Wilson was the only finisher.

The remaining trophies went to George Whitefoot (Pritchard Trophy, Richard Whitefoot (Dunkirk Trophy) and the River Cruiser Forester, for best dressed boat.

The BOD meeting at Wroxham drew 27 starters for the seven races over the weekend.

Saturday and Sunday saw a win a day for Ian Tims and also Stu Rix, but the former reinforced his position with two seconds. A solitary third on Monday morning was enough to earn him the NBYC BOD Challenge Cup, with Robin Richardson, winner of Monday's first race, runner-up by one point from Christian Young.

The Navigators Trophy, for BOD Club member, went to Kingsley Farrington, fourth overall, while Tim Mobbs moved into fifth overall on the back of a sixth-race win.

t A final reminder that the memorial service for David Lane will be held tomorrow (2.30pm) at St Mary's Church, Hellesdon, and the family have requested that bright colours be worn.