THE duel between Big Purple and Jacobi came to a climax in the last race of the late summer series at Helford River Sailing club.

Both boats needed to beat the other one to secure a win in the series. Race officer, Simon Filmer, set a seven-mile course taking the six yachts out into Falmouth Bay into a lively north easterly breeze gusting up to 20 knots.

Big Purple showed she meant business right from the start and took an early lead, helmed by Roger Ford.

Jacobi followed, with Johnny Walker helming in the absence of regular helm and skipper, Tony Statham.

Big Purple stayed in front on the beat out to the Rosemullion mark, managing to pass "dirty wind" back on to Jacobi, which also slowed herself down when her spinnaker blew out of its bag into the sea and had to be recovered.

Jabadeo and Forza! came out of the river close together, but Jabadeo pulled out a lead, passing Jacobi at one point, and was first of the three J92s to round the Rosemullion mark. Big Purple held on to first place on the spinnaker leg to Nare Point with Jacobi following.

Forza! took a course further out to sea, and with a spinnaker wrap as well causing problems, allowed Jetta to get past. The fleet then beat back to Rosemullion with the faster Jacobi still unable to get past Big Purple in the lead.

On the second spinnaker leg to Nare Point, Jetta passed Jabadeo which had taken a lower course. On the final close reach to the committee buoy, with the moon rising behind them, Jabadeo almost caught Jetta again.

The clear winner of the race and the series was Big Purple which not only beat Jacobi over the finish but had a comfortable margin of over five minutes on corrected time.

Jinjy, the slowest of the fleet, almost got close enough to beat Forza!, but the J92 Forza1 still had a 30-second advantage at the finish.

Race Results IRC: 1, Big Purple (Garth Weaver); 2, Jacobi (Tony Statham); 3, Jetta (John Jane); 4, Jabadeo (Wally Royall); 5, Forza! (Andy Dennis); 6, Jinjy (Lynda Filmer).