The Smallridge family pulled together successfully in the second race in Sussex Yacht Club's Pursuit Series last Saturday.

Ten yachts went out from the club in light winds with the slowest boats to the start line first. A sea breeze soon saw the faster boats catch up quickly.

Duchess, helmed by Janie Smallridge with husband Graham and children Peter and Michael as crew, took the lead as they approached the first buoy but Doug Beanlands aboard Cloud Nine passed Duchess on the second leg.

The Smallridge family fortunes were saved when Duchess' spinnaker took them past Cloud Nine on the final leg and they took the day's honours by a couple of lengths from Cloud Nine, second and Curved Air in third place, Sussex YC's penultimate race in the Meadows Mug Handicap last Sunday saw some keen and aggressive sailing.

Sixteen yachts were in action and race conditions on the startline favoured the boats starting inshore.

Godfrey Hix's Ghylly, Laurence Woodham's Curved Air and Giles Weston's Challenger all took advantage of their bias and took the eventual one, two, three honours.

Weston in his J24 Challenger, one of the early leaders, rounded the mark and hoisted his spinnaker. Unfortunately, the spinnaker set in a perfect 'wine glass' allowing David Neete in his J24 Juvenile Delinquent to catch and overtake Challenger. Weston than had to work hard to retake the lead from Neete.

The wind strength dropped allowing some of the poorer starters to catch up. The race was reduced to one lap because of the light airs but towards the end the wind increased to allow the dash for the finish line.

Hix, on his 26ft Hunter Ghylly, sailed another faultless race to finish first on handicap corrected time and secured the series win with one race still to go.

Result: 1 Godfrey Hix (Hunter 26ft GhylIy); 2 Laurence Woodhams (GK24 - Curved Air); 3 Giles Weston (J24 - Challenger).