Twenty three Hunter 707s enjoy close racing in the Royal Southern June regatta over the weekend 11-12 June.

The Sweeney notched up the first of three wins in race one, and where one of four in the top five overall to prove their form early. Second was Doh! from Giraffe, Wj and Charlie Fish.

Race two saw Charlie Fish on their own at the pin end of the start line heading for the left corner and the beach. Having been joined by Sword, Begorrah and Darkness these four stayed out front for the duration of the shortened race. Charlie Fish took the win from Begorrah, achieving their best ever result, in second. Sword were third in front of Darkness and Wj.

The prevailing wind was then replaced with a fresh sea breeze. With a number of boats over line and heading back the start coinciding with a monumental windshift, the beat in race three was now a fetch and Muttley got it right to take their first ever race win, with Giraffe in second, then the new owners on Three Little Pigs, Charlie Fish and The Sweeney.

Day two, race three and with the wind up to 20 knots the fleet had a clean start and a bumpy beat with the usual suspects and Bangers & Mash and the Ant Hill mob all in contention. Then followed a hairy though controllable sled ride downwind. Not everyone was fairing so well with plenty of spills at the back. The Sweeney had led Charlie fish all the race until the last windward mark when Fish went left down the run and got the best tide. In the short beat to the finish a tacking duel saw the Sweeney regain first place. The Anthill Mob came in third infront of Bangers & Mash and Doh!

In very similar conditions by the first mark of race five it was the same boats competing for honours. It stayed this way until the last windward mark where a number of boats went too far east leaving The Sweeney, Charlie Fish, Doh!, Bangers & Mash and Sword ahead of fleet where they finished in this order.

Being the only boat with all their results in the top five Charlie Fish won the event from The Sweeney who was ten points ahead of third place Doh! with Sword in fourth and Wj fifth.

The next event is tomorrow’s Round the Island race followed by the Royal Southern Ladies race on Sunday with the 707 Southern Area championship the weekend after.