Wet cold and breezy was the order of the day for the first day of the Royal Southern May regatta last weekend, and 21 707s enjoyed refreshing their knowledge of the Solent buoys.

Race one set the tone for those on the pace with the top five finishing in the top five overall. Pocket Battleship took the win from Sparkle in second then Wind Job, Giraffe and Doh!

The wind increased for race two and after two general recalls Sparkle led comfortably from the start. They retained the lead throughout, all the more impressive as they had no kite halyard and swapped the jib halyard on the numerous downwind legs. At the finish it was Sparkle, Doh! Wind Job, Pocket Battleship, and Bangers and Mash.

The last race on day one and it was a second race win for Pocket Battleship from Wind Job and Giraffe. Sword kept a careful cover on Doh! up the last beat to take fourth.

Sunday’s racing was held in a sunny Force 3 easterly and in both races it paid to go left inshore up the beats. Race four was won by Pocket Battleship from Giraffe, Swallow, Sparkle then Wind Job.

In the last race of the weekend Pocket Battleship got to the mark first in front of Doh! and Mad Dog. Being in the top three didn’t bode well as first Doh! hove to at the leeward mark, PB found out they were OCS and Mad Dog made a navigational error. The rest of the fleet stuck to going left on the beats and it was Sparkle that took the win with Giraffe third then Surfeit and Wind Job.

With no discards Sparkle had safely secured the win, ahead of Wind Job with a very consistent set of results with nothing worse than fifth. Third were Giraffe then Pocket Battleship counting an OCS with Doh! in fifth.