A RECORD number of entries for the third Working Boat World Championships saw Rebecca claim the title in one of the most popular events in the Port of Falmouth's racing calendar.

It took place over the weekend, hosted by the St Mawes Sailing Club and St Mawes Social Club.

The championship was for class B (large working boat) and 23ft and under small working boats with 17 class B and eight class C boats taking part.

The championship attracted excellent sponsorship which the crews and organising committee were most grateful for, enabling the committee to provide everything necessary for a first-class event.

Friday morning saw the fleet drift down to the committee boat with very little optimism of getting a race in the very light southerly breeze.

However, after a postponement, the breeze increased to only five knots and race officer Ron Medlyn decided to chance his arm and go for a start.

Everyone made a clean start except Rebecca, helmed by Phil Slater, who was caught the wrong side of the line. The very light conditions were in favour of Victory (Paul Collins) and Florence (St Mawes syndicate) and these two opened up on the rest of the fleet and led them into St Mawes to finish. Victory took line honours, but Florence won on handicap with Grace (Charles Jeffrey) in third position.

In the 23ft class, Lottie (helmed by Paul Williams) soon established a huge lead and finished six minutes ahead of Leila (Adam Bird) and Deliverance (Mike Stratton.) After a lunch break washed down with ale the crews came out for race two in a north westerly wind force three, ideal conditions, and made very interesting by the race committee setting the course windward mark mid channel of an ebb tide. Tactics to dodge the tide made for some spectacular sailing and on the reaches the working boats looked at their superb best, creaming through the short seas under a cloud of sail. Surely there ise no better sight than to see 17 working boats in line abreast flying to the leeward mark.

These conditions were to suit the heavier boats and Rebecca revelled in these conditions, as did Helen Mary (D Clode) and surprisingly the Irene (Robert Northey) came through on handicap to take third place.

In the 23ft class last year's winner, Krystal (Bruce Trevartha), brought his t Turn to page 84 own boat home to win on handicap over Dolly (Barry Prynn) who took line honours followed by Lottie.

Saturday morning brought a force two westerly wind which proved to be very shifty at the Trefusis mark, and this is where races were won and lost. After the first round Abigail Rose (Norman Bowers) led the fleet to the leeward mark followed by Rebecca with Mabel (Peter Collett) Agnes, Grace and Helen Mary in hot pursuit.

There was quite a big wind shift half way up the beat and Victory, Evelyn (St Mawes syndicate) and Moonlight were in a good position to take full advantage resulting in a win for Evelyn on corrected time over Victory who had line honours with Moonlight (David Noakes) in third place.

Lottie in the 23ft class had a good win over Krystal with Deliverance in third place.

Race Four was held in a wind constantly shifting from west to north west and back again and the leeward mark had to be moved twice very quickly to compensate the shifts.

Once again the large boats had a clean start and Rebecca immediately tacked into St Mawes to avoid the tide and within minutes after she had tacked it became obvious she was not going to be caught.

Victory was pinned in at the start and decided to tack out into the tide just to be different with the slim chance of a lee bow in the beat to West Narrows and this paid off as she dropped into second place with Rebecca winning by over five minutes with Abigail Rose following the Victory home. However, on corrected time the dark horse Irene had snatched second place on handicap with Abigail Rose third and Victory dropping down to fourth place.

Krystal in the under 23ft class was able to save her time as was Girl Sarah (Adam Davis) over line honours' boat Lottie who ended up in third place.

Sunday morning saw a glassy windless sea and the race committee and working boat committee made every effort to obtain weather forecasts from three different sources and all gave no wind appearing before 2pm. This meant the prizegiving ceremony and barbecue would have to be delayed until much later and it was unanimously decided to cancel racing for the day and to work out the results on the four races sailed.

The St Mawes Social Club hosted the prizegiving and prizes were presented by "Bomber" Terry Holm, commodore of St Mawes Sailing Club. Thanks were expressed to all the sponsors, race officer Ron Medlyn, assistant race officer Neil Andrews, John and Liz Maunder for loaning their boat Melkin as committee boat, Mark Layer, "Jane" Bob Edwards, gunners and everyone who had contributed to this very successful championships.

Every competitor received a cut glass engraved whisky tumbler and a bottle of wine, then came the prize winners who were: B Class, champion 2007: Rebecca (Dr Phil Slater; 2, Victory (Paul Collins); 3, Irene (Robert Northey; 4, Abigail Rose (Norman Bowers); 5, Evelyn (St Mawes syndicate).

C Class, champion 2007: Krystal (Bruce Trevartha); 2, Lottie (Paul Ferris); 3, Girl Sarah (Adam Davis); 4, Deliverance (Mike Stratton); 5, Leila (Adam Bird).