Torpoint Mosquito started the first race of the spring dinghy series in challenging but dry conditions. Breaking the ice off their boat covers was enough to put off the less hardy sailors who headed for the bar but the remaining crews paired up to cope with the very strong winds.

The race officers Richard Richmond and Jenny Roberts set a course starting with a beat up river to Ferry. On the first leg the fleet headed out into the river to gain a little from the incoming tide.

Rounding the top mark gave them their first taste of the dead down wind leg to Rubble. Jack Mann and Ron Goggin (Wanderer) led the fleet by goose-winging and planing on the waves. Peter Grzelinski (Laser 4.7) was in close pursuit with the two Fevas and the Gull following along behind. Gybing down river to Rubble, the Laser made good ground and was gaining on the Wanderer but Mann/Goggin managed to stay ahead on the upwind leg to First Green and led the fleet back past the clubhouse.

As the boats rounded Ferry for the second time, with a freshening wind and gusts of 32 knots interspersed with lulls of no wind, Geoff Hall and Brian Jones (Gull) unexpectedly capsized and retired. Matt Reeves and Charlie Burbon (Feva) also fell afoul of the gusty conditions and retired after going in. Noah Rees and Alex Smerdon in the other club Feva ended up on the main sail only as they raced towards Rubble for the second time.

With wind-over-tide, the three remaining boats found the downwind leg testing as several gybes were required to make the mark. The Wanderer increased its lead and after rounding the third mark, headed back to the finish line well ahead of the remaining boats but was subsequently disqualified for not sailing the correct course on the first lap. Accordingly Peter Grzelinski took first with Alex Smerdon and Noah Rees (Feva) second. Results: 1 Peter Grzelinski (Laser 4.7) . Alex Smerdon and Noah Rees (Feva)

The club is holding a talk by Tony Brown on Safety at Sea on Tuesday.