After the relatively breezy nationals at Mounts Bay the week before last, normal service was restored at Notts County for the Fireball open meeting over the weekend of 7-8 September.

Over 20 boats entered the, as usual, competitive open, which was round six Golden Dolphin open meeting series.

Race one, held in a reasonable breeze saw the home boat Nigel Potter, crewed by Simon Hextall, develop a commanding lead over John Curzon and Pete Elver (Staunton Harold), in second and Andy Foskett (Staunton Harold), with his normal crew of Howard Jones returning from his summer sabbatical, in third.

The start of race two brought 22 knots of gusty stuff to the racecourse. Kevin Hope and Rob Gardner, won convincingly, Tom Fenn crewed by Alex Pigott over took John Curzon and Pete Elver to claim second spot as the breeze disappeared completely.

At the end of day one, three boats, Hope/Gardner, Potter/Hextall and Curzon/Elver, shared the lead.

Day two dawned with bright sunshine and little wind. Race three got away promptly and Potter and Hextall yet again showed speed to collect their second bullet of the meeting from Tom and Alex in second with Jenny McLeod and Nick Thompson from Ogston in third.

With the fickle breeze testing the race officer, race four started with wind, which duly disappeared and reappeared from various sides of the pond. John Curzon and Pete Elver, in their 10-year-old boat, led the fleet to the finish followed by Potter/ Hextall and Hope/Gardner, third

With four boats still able to win the meeting, race five was always going to be competitive. Tom Fenn, donned his Stetson, and decided to play dodgems down the line on a black flag start. Suitably chastised Fenn retreated back to the ranch.

Curzon and Elver, shot into the lead, closely followed by Hope, in second, Potter and Hextall third. The second round saw Potter try his luck in the bottom right-hand corner of the beat, which allowed the Chelmarsh pairing of Mike and Karen Whitehouse into third. The first two sailed into the distance with a four-way scrap developing for third place.

Curzon and Elver took line honours, Hope and Gardner second and Potter and Hextall just getting back to third in front of the Whitehouse family.

The Staunton Harold crew of John Curzon and Pete Elver won the meeting by virtue of the last race position, from Nigel Potter and Simon Hextall second and Kevin Hope and Rob Gardner third.

Overall Results

1st 14314, John Curzon and Pete Elver Staunton Harold SC 7pts

2nd 14779, Nigel Potter and Simon Hextall Notts County SC 7 pts

3rd 14780, Kevin Hope and Rob Gardner Notts County SC 10 pts

4th 14784, Tom Fenn and Alex Pigott Notts County SC 14 pts

5th 14803 Andy Foskett and Howard Jones Staunton Harold SC 19 pts