Cox wins despite missing last race

Sunday saw the first two races in the Sunday Points Series at Welland Yacht Club and the helms were greeted with the forecasted very light winds and sunny skies.

With what little wind there was and its direction, it gave a short beat to No.1 buoy but the five boats that braved the conditions were not helped by the amount of weed that has grown.
Andy Prior in the Laser judged the start well and managed to stay just windward of Mark Scourfield in the Solo and round the buoy in the lead. With Scourfield and Alan Cox having to put a tack in, he was away and clear at this stage.
Cox managed to go round the outside and rounded in second with Scourfield in third, followed by Andy Agar in the OK and Richard Stedman in his Comet dinghy.
The run down to No.3 buoy was a case of patience as the light breeze often moved 360 degrees and boats were at different points of sailing while on the same leg, which proved very frustrating for all. Coupled with the constant need to clear the rudders from the ever-present weed, it made things unpleasant.
The course was shortened to one lap, much to everyone’s relief and Prior was never challenged as he finished first over the line and first on handicap timings.
Stedman, in the Comet, proved what a good, light boat it is, coming in second on handicap with Scourfield third followed by Cox and Agar.
The second race in the series had a course change of No.1 to No.4 buoy, which caught one person out.
The rounding after the start was a re-run of the first race with the order seeing Prior, Cox, Scourfield, Stedman and Agar.
Once again the light breeze meant at stages boats changed positions on a handicap timings, even if no physical place changes took place.
With the run to the second corner and a reach along to No.4 buoy, it was Prior who used clear air to pull out a lead from Scourfield, closely followed by Cox, Stedman and Agar.
Prior was first to the mark, but rounded on the incorrect side and, having no right of way, was caught up in the other boats, which allowed Scourfield and Cox to pull away.
By the end of the straight, Stedman had kept in touch and was holding on the other boat and, despite sailing the slowest boat on handicap, was well placed.
Prior recovered well to pass Scourfield and Cox to gain the lead and pulled away on the slow beat back to the finish line, crossing the line first, followed by Cox and then Stedman, Scourfield and Agar.
However, Stedman had sailed well enough to take a well-deserved first place on handicap from Prior in second and Cox third.
The last race in the Afternoon Points series saw only three boats take to the water. Agar made a great start in the OK, rounding No.1 buoy first, ahead of Prior and Stedman.
With the breezy conditions not getting any better, they made slow progress to No.4 buoy. It became a procession with the order not changing, only the distance between the boats, as the wind was as fickle as ever.
Prior got the rounding right this time and sailed the one-lap race well in the lead. Agar was second with Stedman hanging on. After 40 minutes they crossed the line in that order.
Even though Cox did not take part, he had clinched the series with Stedman enjoying well deserved success in his new Comet and Helen Boyd in her Solo a creditable third.