Of the top three boats in Class 1 in the Lymington Town Sailing Club Solent Circuit only Little Xtra (P Cross) managed a good result in the third race of the series on Sunday 28 October 28 leaving three boats, Zeal (Bob Fisher) Bonny Blue (S Muskett) and Little Xtra all level on nine points in the overall standings.

A light north easterly breeze with an ebb tide gave all classes a shore line beat to a mark off Durns in the third race of the LTSC Keelboat Solent Circuit. Moon was unlucky to find the lump off Tanners and was pulled clear by a cruising yacht. The Class 1 and 2 leg to Hamstead Ledge turned into a cross tide beat as the wind briefly flicked to the east south east. At Hampstead spinnakers were set for the reach along the Island shore to a mark off Yarmouth before another cross tide challenge to the committee boat anchored just east of the Lymington River entrance. Classes 3 and 4 (Low rated IRC and Club Cruisers) together with the Etchells 22 escaped the full distance across the tide by use of laid windward and wing marks which also formed the second circuit for Classes 1 and 2. For these the initial trapezium was followed by a smaller triangle and which also formed a tight multiple-lap course for the Folkboats. Here John Bence’s Box Clever came out the winner after picking up two places on the second lap as the tide eased and the wind increased marginally.

Overall Class 2 sees Jalicia (J de Trafford and N Kirkman) leading Andy Ash-Vie’s Showdown by four points to seven while in Class 3, Martin Wheatley’s H-boat Cloud Nine with five points is fighting the lead out with Minim (O Dunne) who has seven with Richard and Louise Jenner’s Contessa 28 a very creditable third.

In Class 4 Jim Gill’s Creation has to work hard to beat Sylvia Pepin’s Nightjar but is doing it to lead by three points.

The Etchells sees Escape (Mitchell,Brammer and Wheatley) having an emphatic lead with three wins in a row while the Folkboats are tied with Box Clever (John Bence) and So (S Osgood) each with eight points.