MORE than 20 sailors arrived at Roswell Pits in Ely for the start of the new sailing season on Sunday afternoon.

The Ely Sailing Club sailors were greeted with sunshine and a fickle force three south westerly wind.

There was a change to the order of events as the first race was a pursuit race in which the boats with the slowest handicap went off first followed by the remaining fleets at predetermined intervals, the fastest lasers going last. The race lasted for 45 minutes when the hooter sounded and the race officer noted the leading positions.

Simon Leeks had a hat-trick of wins in his solo during the afternoon and finished first in the pursuit race and won the handicap race on corrected time by 12 seconds from John Wells.

Alayne Seymour who helmed her first race since surgery last July sailed through the fleet, in her laser, to finish in third place, after starting last.

On Saturday evening club members gathered at Strikes in Ely for a session of ten pin bowling as part of their launching social event. The lane winners were Simon Loach and Gary Ungless who tied on 109, Jonathan Griffin 120, Greg Williams 109, Kevin Levett 99, Clare Christan 129 and Carole Gunthorpe 117. After supper in the clubhouse, commodore Gary Ungless presented Clare Christan with her trophy.

Pursuit race:

1. Simon Leeks 2. Scott Bilham and Jack Cammann (enterprise) 3. Alayne Seymour 4. Gary Ungless (solo).

Handicap race:

1.Simon Leeks 2. John Wells (laser) 3. John Cant (laser radial) 4. Alan White (solo)

Solo class races:

Race one: 1. Simon Leeks 2. Gary Ungless 3. Alan White.

Race two: 1. Simon Leeks 2. Alan White

Laser class races:

Race one: 1. John Wells 2. Alayne Seymour 3. John Camt 4. Jack Knight

Race two: 1. John Wells 2. John Cant 3 Alayne Seymour 4. Jack Knight

Enterprise class races:

Race one: 1. Kevin Bilham and Jamie Cammann 2. Scott Bilham and Jack Cammann 3. Eric and Clare Christan

Race two: 1. Greg and Jordan Williams