Welland Yacht Club round-up

Andy Prior continued on the trophy trail at Welland Yacht Club after winning the Munson Cup series on Sunday.

Prior finished ahead of runner-up Keiron Powell with Alan Cox and Mark Scourfield tied for third place after the final two rounds were raced.

There was a lighter breeze for Sunday's racing than the previous weeks but, with the forecast of sunshine and increasing breeze, there were nine boats at the start line for the opening race.

With the wind coming from the north again, there was some interesting close quarter sailing and a good start was needed.

Powell in the Laser just gained inside rights at the buoy over Scourfield in the Solo to round first with Prior - sailing with grandson Harry Jackson in the borrowed Lark dinghy - third.

Powell then managed to pick up some breeze and stretched out his lead that was never challenged.

He eventually crossed the line four minutes ahead of the next Laser of Cox followed by the Lark of Prior and Jackson.

Scourfield just pipped Alan Chapman by two seconds ahead of Andy Agar in the OK, Helen Boyd in the Solo, Richard Stedman in the Comet and in the Wayfarer helmed by William Stabler and crew of dad Adam.

Powell stayed first once the handicaps were applied from Cox, Scourfield, Agar, Stedman, Chapman, Prior and Jackson, Boyd and the Stablers.

The final race of the series started with the sky clearing and the wind starting to build.

All boats took to the water and it was Agar who judged it perfectly and went ahead on a port tack lift, closely followed by Scourfield who had to allow Powell through on the inside to round second followed by the Lark of Prior and Jackson.

With the wind varying in direction and strength, Powell took the lead from Agar and Scourfield but a capsize awaited him just beyond Shelly's Bush Corner as he went over to windward.

The tight reach and beat back enabled the Lark of Prior and Jackson to pull through to first and, with Scourfield, Cox and Chapman locked in a tacking duel, they pulled away.

With the wind increasing, the race was shorter time wise and, with Powell righting his boat and making his way through the fleet, it was a tight finish when the handicaps were applied after the finish.

Agar was first from Scourfield, Powell, Cox, Prior and Jackson, Chapman, Stedman and Boyd.

There were only six boats on the start for the final race of the day, the Afternoon Points.

With the wind and sunshine coming together, it was the best conditions of the day but still tricky getting around the first buoy at the start.

It was the Lark of Prior and Jackson who rounded first followed by Cox, Agar, Boyd, Scourfield and Stedman close behind.

With the wind filling in from the back, the boats bunched up before rounding Chiliver's Corner where the lead boats were able to pull away.

With a short race, it was going to be a close finish on handicap times and so it proved with all six boats finishing within one minute of each other on corrected time.

The Lark of Prior and Jackson crossed first just ahead of Cox, Agar, Scourfield, Boyd and Stedman.

After handicaps were applied, it was Cox in first from Agar, Prior and Jackson, Scourfield, Stedman and Boyd with only seconds splitting some of the positions.