WALTON and Frinton Yacht Club's Evening Series continued with race four being held in beautiful summer conditions.

A total of 14 dinghies started at Spit buoy for a good beat to Twizzle, in a very pleasant eight to 10 knots.

As usual, fleet two was first away.

The two Jewels of Robin Cooper and Sam Ward had the better of the start, leaving the more modern dinghies to catch up.

Fleet one, with the faster boats, set off five minutes later and it was Martin Jenkins at the pin end of the line that got away first, despite a bold attempt by John Sewell, in his Solo, to close him down on starboard tack.

The course took both fleets back down the Twizzle and up to Hedge End, before repeating the course for the second lap.

Cooper, with Chris Byford Smith crewing for him, was sailing excellently in the slower fleet.

Jenkins, in fleet one, had stretched away to what looked like a winning margin until, with two legs to go, the wind piped up to 17 knots.

The effect of the wind change was to bring the boats much closer together on time and, as the boats finished at the club line, the results were not clear until the handicaps had been put through the computer.

In fleet two, Cooper's Jewel took the honours from Ward's Jewel.

Sue Wood, in her Laser 4.7, pipped Harry Triffitt for third place in his Topaz Race.

In fleet one, there was just 50 seconds between the first three boats on corrected time.

In first was Sewell, in his Solo, in second was James Oxley, in his full-rig Laser, and relegated to third place was Jenkins, in his Phantom.

The last race in the series is on Saturday, August 27.

The dinghy racers are in for a busy week with Dinghy Week starting yesterday and racing each day through to Sunday.

The forecast is looking good and there are hopes for a bumper turnout for this popular open event.