Stokes Bay SC played host to a Fireball open meeting on 27-28 July and a total of 25 boats took part.

On the Saturday the wind was a light south-westerly and the tide a strong easterly. Vince Horey and Johnny Mildred were the first to show at the windward mark in race one and they spent the next three laps fighting off the attentions of Derian Chandler and John Bale, but this was all to no avail as they were greeted to the sound of silence upon crossing the finishing line thereby handing the win to Derian.

Race two got under way with Angus Hemmings and Steve Chesney quickly building up healthy lead followed by Kevin Hope and Bob Gardner. All was going well until the tide got the better of the windward mark and decided to whisk it away towards Cowes at a rate of knots. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the race officer to replace it with a mark boat, the leading boats had passed the position of the mark boat and were merrily chasing the windward mark off into the distance. They only realised something was amiss when the mark came racing back past them on the back of a rescue boat. Needless to say it all got very messy and resulted in the race being thrown out.

Race three was won by Tom Fenn in his new rocket ship in a dying breeze with Angus and Steve back in second place.

Sunday brought slightly more breeze and measurably more sunshine. Angus and Steve found these conditions to their liking and they won both races four and five which was enough to give them the meeting, with Vince, Kevin and Derian always in close attendance. The final race was won by Tom Fenn who sailed a consistent series and finished second overall.

Overall Results

1. 14629, Angus Hemmings and Steve Chesney (Stokes Bay SC)

2 14784, Tom Fenn (Notts County SC)

3. 14780, Kevin Hope and Bob Gardner (Notts County SC)

4. 14598, Derian Chandler and John Bale (Chew Valley Lake SC)