A total of 25 Larks arrived at Weymouth SC on 6-7 September for the annual open meeting to be greeted by bright sunshine and a fresh south-westerly breeze.

In race one Chris Jenkins and Ruth Johnson quickly found the front and held their lead to the finish, holding off a strong challenge from Jon Fish and Becky Marriott in second. After a season-long break, Emma Harris, crewed by Nigel Scott, was quickly back in the groove, taking third.

With the wind building to a Force 5 for the second race Jenkins/Johnson showed the conditions were to their liking with another victory. Again they were chased hard by Fish/Marriott and Harris/Scott, who finished in that order, to give a top three that was a repeat of race one.

With gale-Force winds forecast, the fleet partied hard on Saturday night, so it was with some surprise when the Larks awoke to only a light south-westerly on Sunday morning.

In race three Alan Krailing and Gemma Thompson battled it out with, among others, Richard Dowsett and Steph Calvin and Richard and Jenny Bennett in very shifty conditions, eventually winning out in a drift for the line from Fish/Marriott, and the Bennetts in third.

Race four was won by Steve Dunn and Pauline Baker who rounded the windward mark first and went on to build an impressive lead by the finish.

Krailing/Thompson came through in second after a tight battle with Dowsett/Calvin in third.

In race five Fish/Marriott led around the first lap and looked likely to go on and take the event. However, Krailing/Thompson and Dowsett/Calvin, again involved in a close tussle, came through on the second beat and went on to finish first and second respectively with Paul Gardner and Kate Sampson in third.

Overall Results

1 2464 Alan Krailing and Gemma Thompson

2 2264 Jon Fish and Becky Marriott

3 2311 Emma Harris and Nigel Scott

4 2379 Chris Jenkins and Ruth Johnson

5 2331 Richard Dowsett and Steph Calvin