After no sailing last week due to a totally frozen over Broad, it was great to be back on the water with a 12 to 15mph westerly wind.

Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club returned to racing on Sunday, and reading the start line was tricky.

The port end was favoured, but the starboard end would allow a greater freedom of choosing when to tack.

The OK of James Jarvey in the Fast Handicap, and Croc (Chris and Gill Jordan) in the Squibs both took the freedom option and were leading around the first mark.

The OK took the win in the Fast Handicap race, from the two visiting Solo’s from the Norfolk Broads YC, (Mathew Frary and Chris Bunn); while Brimstone (Bryan and Jenny Riley) had to overtake Croc three times before ending up in the lead at the finish.

Lowestoft Journal: Bryan and Jenny Riley in Brimstone.Bryan and Jenny Riley in Brimstone. (Image: Chris Jordan)

With the wind shifting further to the west, a longer beat was put into the course.

This time the two Solo’s took full advantage of the greater space to take first and second, followed by George Madin in his Aero.

In the Squib race, Croc and Brimstone choose the freedom option again – only to see the rest of the fleet sail away from them up the first beat.

Flame (Richard Smith and Graham Reeve) led from the start and held it, for the first two laps, before Brimstone finally closed them down by risking a grounding at low tide, but actually picking up the shift and the lead.

Lowestoft Journal: Simon Marfleet and Stef Oosthuysen in Firebird.Simon Marfleet and Stef Oosthuysen in Firebird. (Image: Chris Jordan)

Croc found some down-wind speed to jump past Clever Dick (Richard Sullivan and Sue Harper) and Firebird (Simon Marfleet and Stef Oosthuysen) into third place.

Results

1st Fast Handicap

1 OK James Jarvey

2 Solo Mathew Frary

3 Solo Chris Bunn

2nd Fast Handicap

1 Solo Mathew Frary

2 Solo Chris Bunn

3 Aero George Madin

1st Squibs

1 Brimstone Bryan and Jenny Riley

2 Croc Chris & Gill Jordan

3 Flame Richard Smith and Graham Reeve

2nd Squibs

1 Brimstone Bryan and Jenny Riley

2 Flame Richard Smith and Graham Reeve

3 Croc Chris & Gill Jordan

1st Slow Handicap

1 Optimist Lollypopz Will Batson-Keyes

2 Optimist Snoopy Jack Reeve

3 Optimist Pikachu Isaac Thomas

2nd Slow Handicap

1 Optimist Lollypopz Will Batson-Keyes

2 Optimist Pikachu Isaac Thomas

3 Optimist Snoopy Jack Reeve