CHILLY north winds blew in for the first of Clacton Sailing Club’s Holiday Cup races.

Offshore gusts up to force five were visible, scudding across the flat, grey seas inshore, and a brief flurry of hailstone was perhaps an omen of trouble ahead as the sailors prepared their boats.

High-wind experts Martin and Debbie Chivers eventually took line honours in their Dart 18 catamaran, after many changes of position and high drama during the race.

The Chivers were first away on a beam reach to the first buoy, with the gusting winds requiring fast reactions from the helm and nimble trapeze work from the crews.

Larry Foxon and Mike Rolfe, beginning to find their feet on the Hurricane 5.9, had over-hauled the Dart to set the pace at the first buoy and slam-gybed on to the first broad reach leg, heading further out to sea into strengthening winds and building swells.

James Parsons teamed up with Rob Mitchell on the other Hurricane catamaran and made a fine sight, sailing the cat hard and flat in an explosion of spray.

They stormed through the fleet on this second leg to take the lead by the second buoy.

Strong wind broad reaching on these powerful boats is very exciting, with the lift from the rig increasing the risk of pitch-pole as the bows try to dig in.

It means the crews have to trapeze as far as they can to resist the tripping forces.

Mark Venables, racing his new Dart 16 for just the second time and this week with his other son, Charlie, discovered the speed at which things can go wrong with a spectacular pitch pole.

Charlie was flung through the air still attached to the trapeze wire as the cat went over and rapidly turned-turtle upside down.

Both sailors were unhurt and exhilarated by the experience, even if support from the club’s rescue boat meant they had to retire from the race.

The dinghies were having challenges of their own, with veteran sailors Mike and Sue Suffield struggling to keep the centre board in position as their RS200 skimmed and planed down the waves.

Hoisting the kite off-wind would have been out of the question, although Sue later wondered if they would have improved on their creditable fourth position overall had they tried.

Brian Allan gamely battled-on after capsizing twice in his Laser Two and then once more on his way back into the beach, after he had taken the decision to retire.

The upwind leg back into the beach was the most technical.

Deciding how soon to tack on to starboard to be able to lay the ODM proved critical and more places were made or lost on this leg than any other.

A steadying veering wind shift caught Pete Boxer and Eilish Dempsey off guard on the last leg of the final lap and caused them to have to make two quick tacks and slip from first to second overall.

James Parsons and Robert Mitchell managed third place once the handicaps were calculated and seemed happy to have had some high-wind race experience in advance of the Hurricane open meeting at Clacton in July.