Olympic bid put on hold for trophy win

The race was scheduled for 4pm and saw a sudden influx of boats with 32 assorted craft on the start. Nic Asher, having a break from Olympic selection events, was out in a mouldy, mildewed-green Laser. Using his tactical prowess he was near the front early on the long beat to number three mark together with Alan Cone and Andy Bedwell, also sailing Lasers. Veronica Falat in her Streaker appeared to be travelling as fast as the Lasers, beating several of them, and was leading the handicaps for a while, eventually crossing the line in fifth place. Nick Barrett in his RS300 led the fleet but not by enough.

The breeze was dropping as the race went on which did not favour the keel boats. After 50 minutes race officer Ben Falat decided to finish the reace at No 2 mark. First finishers were the two leading Toppers, sailed by Amy Lincoln and Jemma Smalls, who had sailed two laps, followed by the over-the-water leaders Barrett and Asher on three laps.

Subsequently 'average-lap-times' were applied and Asher won the event over Falat by seven seconds per lap, with Alan Cone third, Barrett fourth, Geoff Little fifth and Alan Gisborne sixth.

First junior was Ben Turner in a Laser (ninth overall). The first keelboat was Little's Waveney 24.

By contrast the fleets out on Sunday were some of the smallest for a long time with only 12 boats out. Of these Alan Cone won both Dinghy races while Denise Sinclair, in her Squib, won both the Class and Mixed Keels, the later by an enormous distance from Vince Meadows who was also well in front of the third boat.

Last week's top keel boat, Phil Plant's old Squib sailed by David Gooch and Richard Barrett, broached in the first race with spinnaker trouble while in the second the rudder came off, both events happening while they were near the front of the fleet.

There was no sailing at Gorleston on Sunday as the wind was too strong.