The first races of the Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club's winter series for 2022 began on Sunday.
Sailed in abysmal conditions of heavy rain and an awkward southerly wind, there were very shifty and big strong gusts up to 25mph.
The dinghies were first away – with the first capsize by Richard Fryer and Rosie Madin in their RS400 about 10 seconds later.
George Madin in an Aero and Simon Beckett in a Laser shared the first two places each race.
The Squibs started lined up abreast and enjoyed some remarkably close and exciting racing despite the rain.
Richard Smith and Graham Reeve in Flame slipped away into the lead, chased hard by Chris and Gill Jordan in Croc, with various different boats nibbling at their heels every lap.
The wind went a lot lighter for the second race, resulting in six Squibs rounding the second buoy side by side.
Once again Flame slipped into the lead, while Croc found the first left shift to slip ahead of the chasing pack.
Down the long run Croc got past Flame into the lead, only to lose it again and be overtaken themselves by Firebird (Simon Marfleet and Stef Oosthuysen).
Croc recovered for second place, and then the new pair of Chris Schonhut and Laurence Read in Paramour slipped into third place up the final beat.
The weather reduced the turnout of the slow handicap, with Isaac Thomas and Lily-Rose Phillips the only adventurous ones.
Results:
1st Fast Handicap
1. Aero Un Poco Loco George Madin
2. Laser Rawhide Simon Beckett
3. RS400 Custard Richard Fryer and Rosie Madin
2nd Fast Handicap
1. Laser Rawhide Simon Beckett
2. Aero Un Poco Loco George Madin
3. RS400 Custard Richard Fryer and Rosie Madin
1st Squibs
1. Flame Richard Smith and Graham Reeve
2. Croc Chris & Gill Jordan
3. Clever Dick Richard Sullivan and Sue Harper
2nd Squibs
1. Flame Richard Smith and Graham Reeve
2. Croc Chris & Gill Jordan
3. Paramour Chris Schonhut and Laurence Read
1st Slow Handicap
1. Optimist Pikachu Isaac Thomas
2. Tera Terri the Tera Lily-Rose Phillips
2nd Slow Handicap
1. Optimist Pikachu Isaac Thomas
2. Tera Terri the Tera Lily-Rose Phillips
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