Horning Sailing Club's 2017 season began on Sunday in brilliant sunshine and a pleasant breeze.
Many members took the opportunity to blow away the cobwebs, with an encouraging number of both newer and more experienced members of the fleet taking to the water.
With the river relatively quiet from motor cruisers, it was a good chance to get in some early season sailing and the club's new lunchtime novice race saw an opportunity for members to get some additional racing practice in, at either running the line or sailing.
The largest fleets of the day were the Yeoman and Dinghy fleets, with five Yeomans closely vying for position, eventually just three seconds separating first and second place during the first race, Toby Fields sailing Tanskey and George Whitefoot sailing Fire Opal respectively. Toby took another two wins during the day.
The Allcomers B fleet saw a mix of Lasers, Splashes, an Enterprise and a Miracle Dinghy take part. Richie Dugdale, sailing his Laser, won the morning races, with Dominic Copping and William Symonds taking one each during the afternoon. Positions were split amongst the YBOD fleet, with each helm taking a win at some point during the day.
Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club's winter season ended in bright and breezy conditions and 17 boats took part.
Duncan Madin, in his K1, won the first Fast Handicap race on corrected time and is the clear winner of that series. Richard Smith (Laser) is second, despite coming third on Sunday, two seconds behind Jamie Freeman, sailing a borrowed Phantom. In the second race Smith was the winner, two seconds ahead of Madin, and the series ended with Madin on top.
The singlehanders have dominated the racing but there was good competition on Sunday between the RS400s of Richard Fryer and Nick Barrett. Fryer led the fleet in the first race but Barrett managed to get past him in the second.
The two Squib races were won comfortably by Bryan and Jenny Riley in Brimstone and they have won both their series. Next weekend it's the Squib Broadland Regatta at Oulton Broad with entries expected from as far afield as the Isle of Wight.
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