Day two of the Red Square Lark national championship dawned bright and Breezeless yesterday (Monday) but as the fleet launched, the wind gradually picking up from the South-west to a Force 2-3.

Nigel Hufton/Edd McArdle, as pathfinder, continued to the right of the first windward leg, and, as the breeze kicked in from the right, the much of the fleet followed to take advantage of the shift. Simon Cox/Anna Hotchkiss, who had gone left at the bottom of the beat, however, sailed fast and popped out at the windward mark just in front of Hufton/McArdle, closely followed by Bob and Kelsey Suggitt and Mark Ampleford/Lee Nankervis.

By the gybe mark, Hufton/McArdle had taken Cox/Hotchkiss to lead the race. Emma Harris/Becky Priest overhauled both Ampleford/Nankervis and Cox/Hotchkiss to round the leeward mark in third behind Hufton/McArdle and the Suggitts.

As the breeze veered, it paid to hit the right corner on the next windward leg. Harris/Priest overtook the Suggitts by going hard right, and rounded at the top behind Hufton/McArdle who had by this time built a commanding lead.

Meanwhile, Dougal and Nigel Scott, who had had to do penalty turns at the start and had rounded the first mark in the middle of the fleet, gradually pulled up to chase Bob Suggitt for third on the downwind leg.

The battle for third continued on the next beat and reach, with the Scotts and the Suggitts duelling all the way. On the port reach, however, Hufton/McArdle and Harris/Priest sailed into a hole, with wind filling in behind and to windward. The Scotts and the Suggitts sailed high into the new breeze and had caught Harris/Priest by the leeward mark.

With the wind now coming from the north-west, the finish line was moved, but it still paid to hit right. Harris/Priest tacked off for clear air, allowing the Scotts to continue right and overtake halfway up the beat. Hufton/McArdle hung on to win race three, with the Scotts in second, Harris/Priest in third and the Suggitts just behind.

Results

1st Nigel Hufton and Edd McArdle, Frensham Pond SC

2nd Dougal and Nigel Scott, Ranelagh SC

3rd Emma Harris and Becky Priest, Waldringfield SC

4th Bob and Kelsey Suggitt, Barnt Green SC

5th Steve Dunn and Kim Lamb, Waldringfield SC

Overall (after three races)

1st Dougal and Nigel Scott, 8.75 pts

2nd Emma Harris and Becky Priest, 9 pts

3rd Chris Fish and Gillian Young, 15.75 pts

4th Simon Cox and Anna Hotchkiss, 21 pts

5th Nigel Hufton and Edd McArdle, 21.75 pts