WE hoisted spinnakers half an hour before the start in order to get to the committee boat in time to read the courses. In a northerly we expected the line to be near the Governor but the Flushing Sailing Club OoD had decided to set it close in towards St Mawes Castle.

Happily the tide was coming in faster all the evening which gave us a valued lift in the light and falling breeze.

The very competitive A class fought so hard before the start to gain advantage that many of them were over the short line before the hooter and so a general re-call was signalled.

This warned the following fleets to be more careful as they got into their preliminary manoeuvres and all went well for them. Those who crossed the line on starboard and kept there gained an advantage over those who went onto port to go up the St Mawes shore because they lost the tidal lift.

In B class David Carne found the light conditions to his liking as he finished two and a half minutes ahead of his close rival Mabel and it was interesting to note that these two boats who came first and second are both over a 100 years old.

G class were pleased to welcome Arty Williams in his new boat Lady Margaret who sailed very well. What he must do is to enter formally so that his place is recorded and perhaps his handicap re-negotiated.

In E class the fleet split at Trefusis and those who went inshore missed the northerly breeze which lost power and direction as it came over the headland and those who stood off gained a great advantage which they kept for the rest of the race.

Steve Nicholls in Rigaudon broke his tiller extension and as a result found that at the end of the race one arm was longer than the other, or so he told me.

As a result of the general re-call A class were late re-starting and unfortunately because of the dying breeze none of them managed to finish in time. Roger Hollingsworth was only three minutes after the limit but that was too much and his and everyone else's luck ran out.

Only four boats cross the line in U class and the three who rode the tide to Vilt gained over Red Gauntlet. As they approached the turning mark Halcyon had to put in a last second tack when a header almost pushed the boat the wrong side of the buoy.

On the long gentle spinnaker run to the Governor Halcyon caught up with Mary Boon and left a wide gap between him and the two other following Achilles. Beating up the harbour in the dying breeze Halcyon took the lead but did not gain enough to win on handicap. This was doubtless caused by the skipper's sunglasses falling to bits just when they were needed most, but they were repaired by a skilled crewman.

We all enjoyed a beautiful but cool Indian summer evening on the water.

RESULTS E class: Amneris (P Hackett); Popincoota; Hawk (C Bell).

B class: Victory (D Carne); Mabel (P Collett); Grace.

U class: Mary Boon (J Cruise); Halcyon (H Martin); Red Gauntlet.

J class: Soma 111; Jiggy With It (Truro College).

G class: Marie (M Saule); Katy (S Grigg); Miss Agnes (M Rangecroft).

V class: Saucy Sally; Caprice; Clary.