The first race of the Mylor Chandlery and Rigging Series took place on Friday evening at Mylor Yacht Club in challenging conditions, with a northerly wind rarely dropping below 25 knots. However, the Mylor PY race fleet rose to the occasion, with some fast, exciting and very close racing. Almost all yachts sailed to within three per cent of the mean race corrected time showing that, to win at Mylor, you have to sail very well indeed.

In E class, the race was won by the RS Elite Limelite (Euan Beattie) who, it seems, achieved speeds of around 13 knots during the race. This is Euan’s first season in this yacht, having previously raced a Marieholm Folkboat, and, having come third in the previous series, he looks set to do well again this time. Chardonnay Girl (Andrew Nancarrow) was 70 seconds behind on corrected time, with Gazelle (a different Andrew Nancarrow, sailing with his young son Thomas) 70 seconds behind him.

In U class, the Westerly Fulmar Splinter (Peter Jones) won convincingly on his first race of the season. On corrected time he came home some two-and-half minutes ahead of Des Teale in his Contessa 26 Hera, who just beat Xanadu IV (Chris Bye) into third place. In Q class, the classic Buchanan sloop Scoter (Mike Selwood) found conditions exactly to her liking, beating Souchong (Colin Sadler) by ten seconds on corrected time with Sucé (Sue Rosevear) coming third. Henrietta (Julian Wolfram) won G/H class, ahead of Lizzie Dripping (Liam McGrath), with the Cape Cutter Nettie (Richard Rickard) coming third. A new entrant at Mylor this year, Lady May (Veronica Whitworth), came to the starting area but decided not to risk their lovely, 100 year-old gaff sloop in the conditions. Results - E class: Limelite (Euan Beattie) 1, Chardonnay Girl (Andrew Nancarrow) 2, Gazelle (Andrew Nancarrow) 3. U class: Splinter (Peter Jones) 1, Hera (Des Teale) 2, Xanadu IV (Chris Bye) 3. Q class: Scoter (Mike Selwood) 1, Souchong (Colin Sadler) 2, Sucé (Sue Rosevear) 3. G/H class: Henrietta (Julian Wolfram) 1, Lizzie Dripping (Liam McGrath) 2, Nettie (Richard Rickard) 3.

More windy conditions greeted the Mylor fleet for the second race in the Skinner’s Brewery Pursuit Series on Sunday afternoon, this time with rain and sometimes very poor visibility thrown in for good measure, as a front went through when the yachts were near Carrick, the windward mark. The committee boat crew could retire into the warm cabin below; not so the competing crews as they raced through the encircling gloom, with the tide flooding beneath their keels. Fast times were again recorded but the guile and experience of Clive Hoyle, sailing Rococo, his Hunter Europa, single handed, showed through as he scored a convincing win. Mike Biglin, in his Twister Nirvana, came second and Limelite (Euan Beattie) was third. Results: Rococo (Clive Hoyle) 1, Nirvana (Mike Biglin) 2, Limelite (Euan Beattie) 3.