ON the Saturday following Weir Quay Sailing Club's laying-up supper and prize giving, it held its fourth Frostbite series dinghy race in bright, cold, sunny conditions with a brisk northerly force 3 gusting 4.

Sixteen boats took to the water, nine competing in the slow handicap and seven in the fast.

With most of the cruisers laid-up out of the water, race officer Tim Williams was able to set a long course starting via a transit opposite the club house, up the river Tamar to gybe around the Weir Quay boat yard pontoon, then downriver to complete a triangular course via two buoys laid across the river.

The safety boat was kept busy in gusty conditions with Alan Seward's National 12 capsizing before the start and Nick Fell's RS400 Speed Machine capsizing at both the gybe mark and on the run with spinnaker up.

There was also some close sailing in both fleets with only ten seconds separating the first two Mirrors after an hour's racing.

The fast handicap was won by Nick Male in a Laser in 46 minutes followed by Phil Williams in Lightning in 48 minutes and Rob Brereton in a Wayfarer in 50 minutes.

The slow handicap was won by Ben Houghton in 58 minutes followed ten seconds later by brother Tim, and Darren Roach in 66 minutes, all three sailing Mirrors.