WHISTLING halyards and foam crests greeted sailors at Beccles last Sunday as the predicted strong south-westerly charged through.With some gusts well over 30 knots, inevitably only the bravest or crazy endeavoured out on the water.

WHISTLING halyards and foam crests greeted sailors at Beccles last Sunday as the predicted strong south-westerly charged through.

With some gusts well over 30 knots, inevitably only the bravest or crazy endeavoured out on the water.

OOD Jonathan Blankley wisely cancelled racing for the Optimist fleet as conditions steadily deteriorated but the racing programme went ahead for the handicap Icicle Shield and for the Topper fleet in the Goodwin Trophy.

Following a hard gybe and 360 degree high-speed spin, Dave Gentry and Jackie Soards hit the water hard in their Enterprise, ending their day prematurely in race one, leaving Richard Deller's Enterprise Cuddles and two Lasers streaking ahead.

More retirements in the fleet followed leaving just them, another Ent and a Norfolk afloat, Ryan Langston, in the end just managing to keep some water between him and the Commodore to win.

Race one of the Goodwin Trophy was turmoil from the start with collisions between John Herrera, Saskia Baylis and brother Ollie. Charlie Folkard though managed to slip ahead to command a strong lead which he held to the finish line.

Meanwhile, Ollie and Milo Phillips took advantage of Jake Smalls' intervention with the Norfolk bank to take second and third places respectively.

The strong winds whipped up in time for race two which saw only Cuddles and the two Lasers on the start line of the handicap race.

After getting the mainsheet snagged on a transom fitting, Cuddles was powerless to stop Ryan cream past in his Laser at the No 2 buoy and he never looked back, eventually winning by two minutes.

The OOD insisted on reefs for the second Topper race which still had six helms to the line.

Jake Smalls was fortunate to sail on after a gybing boom cracked him on the head from a windward boat on the run down past the clubhouse and with Milo Phillips now well ahead, second place could have gone one of three ways.

But Saskia Baylis kept composed on the last round, crossing the line ahead of Charlie and Jake who had to settle for third and fourth respectively.

The Commodore, Richard Deller, expresses thanks to all who attended the annual meeting last Friday where he reflected on a highly-successful sailing season, which he hoped would continue into the coming year.

Icicle Shield one (8): 1 PDQ (R Langston), 2 Cuddles (R Deller/B Ashcroft), 3 Hellraiser (M Deller).

Goodwin Trophy one (8): 1 Charlie (C Folkard), 2 Wonkey Donkey (O Baylis), 3 Windsinger (M Phillips).

Icicle Shield two (3): 1 PDQ, 2 Cuddles, 3 Hellraiser (Ret).

Goodwin Trophy two (6): 1 Windsinger, 2 Swift Tern (S Baylis),

3 Charlie.