Sailing conditions were much improved last Sunday in great contrast to the previous week.

The sun shone, the wind was predictable and the temperature brought spectators out of the clubhouse.

Races nine and ten at Chichester Yacht Club saw 86 boats at the start and the fairly light conditions enabled the boats to keep in close contention throughout, many of them crossing the finishing line within seconds of each other.

The Committee boat, even with the aid of tape-recorders, struggled to keep an accurate record of boat numbers and times as the three divisions approached the line.

In the Fast Division Paul Davies and Sarah Warren clocked two wins in their Merlin Rocket in a fleet of 37 boats. The class mustered a total of 13 boats and once again pretty well swamped the opposition, although the RS400s, with ten entries, did their best to check the runaway set of results.

In the first race the Series leaders, Colin and Sarah Smith, scored a third in the first race and a second in the second. Behind them came Roger Yeoman, crewed by his ten-year-old son George, and the Blake family who distinguished themselves by claiming second, fifth and sixth places.

In the overall battle in the Fast Division, Ruth Rhodes, of Newhaven and Seaford SC, finished halfway down the fleet but remains fifth overall.

Shoreham members Ben and Mary Cooper finished ninth and tenth in the two races, placing them fourth overall. One ahead of them, in third overall, are Richard Bramley and Graham Elliot, also from Shoreham.

In the Medium Handicap division, Geoff Camm and A. Hall also had two wins in their National Twelve while David and Josie Greening had two thirds. Mark Littlejohn and his son Jeremy, from Lancing SC, sailed their Miracle and did well in such company to take second spot which now gives them 12th place overall.

Steve Lee took two fourths in his Laser while Nick and Biddy Colbourne, in their GP14, and Ron and Julie James, in an Albacore, maintained the reputation of the classic dinghies. Ed Thorburn (Newhaven and Seaford SC) had a mixed day, finishing 14th and 19th while maintaining fifth place overall.

In the Slow Division, which is effectively the Junior Division in the Series, there were 17 boats and the prizes were widely distributed with only one of those in the first five in the first race appearing at the top of the fleet in the second.

Mikaela Meik (Lancing) finished ninth in her Topper in Race 9 but was third in Race 10 which gives her seventh place overall.

Sister Natasha came 10th and fifth in her two races and now lies 14th overall. Star for the day was Lancing's Hannah Aldridge who sailed her Topper into second place in Race 10.

This year the Chichester Yacht Club Committee decided that entry by a junior helm should be free and this policy seems to have worked for there has never been such a big entry in this division.

After last weeks abandonment of race three of Newhaven and Seaford's Numbum Series, ten boats went down to the start on the Piddinghoe Lake for Race four last Sunday.

Like at Chichester, conditions were fine , but the light breeze did tend to make the race a bit of a procession although there were some changes in position as it progressed.

Paul Ryan led from start to finish, but Mark Liddicote, sailing his Laser, was second for almost two laps only to be overtaken at the end of the second lap. Steve Duncan in a Laser had a bad start but did well to catch up and only be 30 seconds behind by the end of lap six.

Result (all Newhaven and Seaford SC unless stated) - 1. Paul Ryan - Laser; 2. Tony Sharman - Laser; 3. Nick Muggridge - Topper (Lancing).

Overall Series - 1. Paul Ryan - Laser; 2. Nick Muggridge - Topper (Lancing); 3. Jerry and Henry Dean - Miracle; 4. Matt Springhall - Laser.

Phil Elford and Neil Arnott, from the Newhaven and Seaford SC, managed to get their much awaited first real sailing test in Bay Sails, their new RS800, under race conditions last Sunday.

They were happy with fifth in their class and 12th overall in the first race of Hayling Island SC's Winter Series.

Lancing's Ollie Page crewed a 29er for the first time at Bewl Water last Sunday in their Open Asymmetric Meeting.

Chris Catt, from Downs SC, was at the helm and they were satisfied with 12th place over. This weekend they travel to Rutland Water to take part in the Tiger Trophy.