THE racing dinghies at Walton and Frinton Yacht Club have had a few months off but returned to action in perfect conditions on New Year's Eve.

They were delighted to welcome two of Gunfleet Sailing Club's top Laser sailors in Ken Potts and John Tappenden.

The event was a pursuit race, which means the boats race for a set period of time with the handicaps worked out in advance.

The slowest boats start first and the fastest boats last.

They have to catch up and pass the slower boats and the boat leading at the end of the timed period is the winner.

First off was Harry Triffitt, in his Laser Radial.

Then, a few minutes later, the full-rig Lasers set off in pursuit.

The Hadron of Simon Hipkin set off six minutes after the Laser Radial and the TOY of Glen Bacon followed 60 seconds later.

Last to start was Martin Jenkins, in his Phantom, which was the fastest boat in the fleet.

He started 30 seconds behind the TOY and more than nine minutes behind the first boat away.

The eight to ten-knot wind was a perfect sailing breeze and it was not long before the full-rig Lasers started pulling back the radial of Triffitt.

Walton's Dominic Jacobs was sailing extremely well and managing to keep ahead of the two hotshots from Gunfleet, although the racing was close in these identical boats.

Hipkin's Hadron was carving his way through the tail-end Lasers and although the TOY and Phantom kept with him they were not making much of an indentation into the gap behind him.

With just over two thirds of the race gone, the Hadron had got into the lead.

Bacon's TOY was finally caught by Jenkins' Phantom but Hipkin, in his Hadron, was still nearly a minute in front of the chasers.

With the course taking the boats up to the area by the club, the Phantom was chasing hard.

Jenkins managed to close the gap to less than 30 seconds but when the gun sounded the Hadron was comfortably ahead and won the Snowball Trophy from last year's winner, Jenkins.

Bacon was third and Jacobs fourth.

The racing at the club starts for the new year on Sunday, January 15 with the Winter Series.