GREY clouds and heavy showers greeted sailors for racing at Flushing on Tuesday.

Starting south of the Vilt, near the centre of Carrick Roads, with the course going east, dozens of boats still took to the water despite the poor weather conditions.

Q class made a good start with the first four crossing the line near the Pin End, led by Per Elisa and closely followed by Demolition, Encore and General Khaos.

When they reached the eastern shallows, they all tacked onto port and then had to squeeze very close together to go under the stern of Jackdaw, who was still on starboard having started much closer to the committee boat and pointing very high into the wind had already established a lead which lasted all through to the finish.

In B class, it seemed that the best tactic was to be late for the start because Winnie, helmed by Arthur Williams, crossed the line more than twenty seconds after the rest which at least allowed him to study their progress and find clean air for his own boat.

Grace and a gaffer got very close and it is reported in avoiding the smaller boat, Grace touched the buoy and in doing their three hundred and sixty degree penalty turn they fell to the back of the fleet.

In U Class, Hecate did not have a good start because of bunching on the line, so they tacked onto port to get clear of the group. But the lumpy seas pushed them even further back.

As the boats in the fleet sailed towards the finish, a large warship moored in the docks stopped the wind coming through, making it difficult for some of the boats.

The class was eventually won by Gap Year who finished ahead of Deep Purple and Quicksilver.

In M class, Mirri found the squally weather to be difficult because when the rain came it blocked the view which is not so good on a fast moving multihull.

Ultra Violet, skippered by Peter Stephens, finished first in the fleet ahead of Mike Webb’s Crackerjack.

RESULTS B class: 1st Winnie - A Williams, 2nd Victory - D Carne, 3rd Abigail Rose - S Heard.

E class: 1st Excelle - J Fox, 2nd Scorpion - G Davies, 3rd Tresillian - J Beavis.

M class: 1st Ultra Violet - P Stephens, 2nd Crackerjack - M Webb, 3rd Cornish Meadow - S Hutt.

Q class: 1st Per Elisa - R Tregear, 2nd Demolition - M Sharp, 3rd Encore - D Cunliffe.

U class: 1st Gap Year - L Trenoweth, 2nd Deep Purple - R Jones, 3rd Quicksilver - J Windebank.

V class: 1st Verity - N Andrew, 2nd Saucy Sally - J Lowry, 3rd Vanity - B Carne.

W class: 1st Amneris - M Robson/D Layton, 2nd Moonshine - K MacLean, 3rd Zephyrus of Mylor - P & A Jenkins.