Early Summer series provides thrilling racing at Hastings and St Leonards

Only Hugh Ashford and Chris Bennett managed all three of the scheduled races due to the physically taxing conditions.

A seemingly straight-forward course with a looped “sausage” leg out to sea confused many of the fleet.

Ashford in the Laser Fleet was first to the windward mark but for the second week running a course error saw others slip through ahead and allowed Sergio Velluti (Laser 4.7) to take the win with Mat Windley (Laser Radial) second.

Other sailors also took the long way round and regretted not paying closer attention to the course board.

Hastings favourite moves on.

Ashford had worked it all out by the second race which he won comfortably.

In the catamaran fleet it was two straight wins for the Vice Commodore, Matt Wiseman, and his partner, Lily Share, in a Dart 16, with Tom & Maurice Nash (Dart 16) in second.

Ashford (Laser Radial), Bennett (Laser Radial) and Philip Blurton & Nicole Mackew (Tasar) entered the final race which was the first of the Early Summer Sovereign Handicap series.

Pictures from the Hastings' five-mile race.

Ashford had the better start but Blurton & Mackew caught him on a reach, only to hand it back again when it was their turn to lose track of the course and sail to the wrong mark.

Ashford sailed on to win with Bennett second on handicap and Blurton & Mackew third.

The day had seen

capsizes, course errors, and fast and physically testing sailing.

All those competing made it safely ashore to enjoy lunch in the sunshine and compare notes on their racing highs and lows.