A total of 21 707s competed in the cold grey drizzle for the sixth Sunday of the Tyco Healthcare Winter Series. With the wind south-south-easterly, the committee set a windward, spreader, leeward course of three laps with final beat to finish at Navigators and General.

At the second time of asking, under a black flag the start was good, with Royal Thames finding room at the pin to come in on port and tack onto starboard to lead the fleet towards the beach. By the windward mark, Pocket Battleship had a small lead on Darkness, with Royal Thames in third and The Sweeney and Sword in close succession. On the downwind leg and the following laps positions amongst the leaders did not alter dramatically with small gains and losses resulting in boats exchanging the odd place or two.

On the downwind leg of the third lap, the wind became extremely light and the committee shortened the course to finish it at the leeward mark. It wasn’t soon enough for the leaders who suffered the agony of watching the fleet catching up and then saw Royal Thames and Miss Moneypenny on the left pick up a little puff and Muttley sail round the outside of the fleet on the right. The final result was a second win in the series for Royal Thames followed by Miss Moneypenny, Pocket Battleship, Muttley and Darkness.

All bar one 707 managed to finish in the time limit and the committee waited to see if any more wind would materialise but at around 1pm they called it a day and sent White Fleet home.