A new fleet of eight RS Elite keelboats based at the Royal Burnham Yacht Club on the River Crouch in Essex was out racing for the first time during the Easter weekend.

Despite the light and fickle winds competitors enjoyed close racing with Ant Law and Philip Tolhust winning the first race on Saturday and finishing second overall. Mike Patten, the class captain, won on Monday and his boat, Matterhorn Jack also won on Sunday with Jonathan Noonan at the helm. The commodore, John Hooper, whose energy and hard work enabled the fleet to get afloat, came second in two races. The racing was very close with just two points between the first five boats but the eventual winners of the first RS Elite series – the Karen Paddison Easter Trophy – were Guy Trench and David Warren.

Sunday turned out to be the day for testing the accuracy of the depth gauges and many of the fleet discovered how easily the Elites can be sailed on and off the mud!