Stephen Lee laps up the light conditions to claim division 2 honours

Division 2 skipper Stephen Lee is proving unstoppable after he clocked up another first and fastest aboard Flasheart in a handicap-start harbour course race last Saturday.

He gave Stephen Brown's Mary Maitland a two-minute start in very light conditions.

The south-easterly barely reached eight knots which made for leisurely sailing compared to the hammering yachts have endured over summer.

Neil Worrell started late with Zuri due to other commitments and was several minutes behind but enjoyed the sail even if it was catch-up throughout.

As the wind began to dwindle club officials decided to shorten courses for all fleets, much to the relief of the tail-enders.

Lee trailed Brown for much of the race but gradually closed the gap and went on to an emphatic victory from Brown by 48 seconds while Zuri was well back in third place.

Division 3 also sailed in a handicap start with Rob Cridge, skippering Noel Robins, easily accounting for Mark Paynter in Serenita.

Noel Robins is larger and quicker and perhaps Paynter could use a bigger handicap but he is an enthusiastic skipper and enjoys the chase. Cridge is an amazing sailor who although wheelchair-bound is doing very well on the water.

In the Flying Fifteens Wayne North get away well but unfortunately was two minutes early and lost valuable time when he restarted with Frequent Flyer.

By this time both Simon Lucas in FForever Young and Aileen Lucas in Crazy had slipped well away.

Crazy was doing well in the light airs and looking like pulling off a win when she was pipped by a fast-finishing FForever Young who took the race and fastest time by a mere 11 seconds.

Crazy was second and Frequent Flyer was third.

Three Vipers had a flying start and even in the light conditions built up speed, especially on the spinnaker runs.

Murray Howson had Chinese Moccasin doing well right from the start and wasn't really challenged by Duncan Ray in Alice and Geoff Oliver in Fang.

Howson showed no mercy to the other two and went on to win handsomely and to record the fastest time.

Alice was two minutes behind in second place with Fang bringing up third.