THE third and fourth races in Walton and Frinton Yacht Club's Winter Series took place on Sunday.

The forecast was for winds gusting up to 28 knots and eight hardy helms sailed out to the starting area in the Twizzle.

The decision was made to race the same course twice and the dinghies started at 10.15am.

Fortunately, the wind didn't quite reach the forecast strength but it was still a brisk and challenging sail, with Chris Nelson, in his Phantom, deciding after several swims that one race would be enough for him.

First out of the line for race four was Martin Jenkins, in his Phantom, and, despite a tricky moment, just avoiding capsizing halfway up the first leg, he had a good lead rounding the first mark from Glen Bacon, in his TOY.

The Lasers were having an excellent battle behind the two leading boats and Ken Potts showed his class as he eased ahead of his class-mates.

A little further back, the Solo of John Sewell was having a good tussle with the visiting Laser Radial of Paul Stanton.

Despite the TOY getting past the Phantom on the long upwind beat, Jenkins was able to retake the lead on the reach to Twizzle buoy.

This order was maintained to the finish, with the Phantom crossing the finish line first, with the TOY just nine seconds behind.

Potts led the posse of Lasers and the Solo over the line but the Phantom of Nelson retired.

After handicaps had been applied, the TOY took the win by the smallest of margins, just two seconds from the Phantom and Potts' Laser was third, just 18 seconds further back.

In the rearranged third race, the scenario was much the same.

Jenkins had a good start and led the TOY round the first mark.

Again, Potts was the leading Laser giving chase.

The Phantom held on to the lead through to the upwind leg back to Twizzle, when the superior speed of the TOY took Bacon into a slender lead.

This order was maintained through to the finish but it was evident Potts, who had got clear away from his rival Lasers, was going to be too close for the faster boats to save their time on handicap.

When the results were worked out, Potts, in his Laser, took the win, with Bacon's TOY just 12 seconds back and Jenkins's Phantom half a minute adrift.

Overall positions: 1 Martin Jenkins, Phantom, 4 pts; 2 Ken Potts, Laser, 6pts; 3 John Sewell, Solo, 11 pts; 4 Glen Bacon, Laser, 12 pts; 5 James Oxley, Laser, 14 pts; 6 John Tappenden, Laser, 14.5 pts; 7 Chris Nelson, Phantom, 25.5 pts; 8 Geoff Parker, Hadron, 27.5pts; 9 Paul Stanton, Laser Radial, 28 pts; 10 Simon Hipkin, OK. 28.5 pts; 11 Dom Jacobs, Laser, 33 pts.