As Lutine Belle and her crew, Peter, Amanda, Martin and Mary, headed out to the race course this morning it looked rather as if it was going to be another day of no wind and no racing. However, after an hour's delay with the wind slowing building and steadily veering and the race commitee patiently laying and relaying of the course marks and line we were at last away and racing. The first race was two laps windward / leeward and the decision to head inshore to pick up the lifted wind along the coast didn't pay off so Belle arrived at the windward mark at the back of the fleet. Downwind the previous day's lack of practice began to show up (the boatyard had failed to launch the boat ) but we kept in touch with the back of the fleet. Finally we lost out by a few seconds to a close group of finishers at the back of the fleet. 

After having tried to start the second race a minute early we decided to stay with the fleet and work on boat speed and spotting the wind shifts. Sixth place out of 14 starters at the first leeward turn was encouraging but concentration slipped and we found ourselves soon  swapping tacks with the second half of the fleet and unable to make up the ground we had lost. As Belle's first race of the series and the crew being  light on practice it was an encouraging enjoyable start to the Autumn campaign.

We now need a skipper and crew to takeover for next weekend and keep Belle in the points. Anyone who would like to sail please contact Clive or Nikki