WALTON and Frinton Yacht Club held the first of the summer's Evening Series races in perfect sailing conditions.

There wasn’t a big tide forecast so race officer Alec Moss was careful to set a course covering the deeper parts of the rivers.

At the start gun, the two sparring Phantoms of James Oxley and Martin Jenkins were first across, with Jenkins narrowly leading.

With the fleet heading off downwind after rounding the first mark, Hedge End, Jenkins led, closely followed by Oxley, with Geoff Parker in his race-winning Hadron chasing in third.

The two Phantoms were nip-and-tuck for the whole race, despite the last leg being a run to the finish line at the club.

However, Jenkins hung on to win by 20 seconds.

Parker’s Hadron did enough to pip the Burnage’s Wayfarer by a similar margin and Danny Blowers came home fifth in his Laser.

The next race at the club is on Sunday, with the second race in the Summer Series.