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.