AS the weather has improved so have the entries for the Wednesday evening meetings of Arden Sailing Club in Defford.

Last week, the small fleet decided just to enjoy messing about in boats with Helen Williams joining in with the spirit by being seen helming a Vintage Merlin Rocket an unusual sigh as she normally remains firmly at the sharp end.

But things will get more serious this Sunday when a capsize drill for all of this year's trainees will take place before racing gets underway.

It promises to be a mammoth session for the club's instructors with 17 in all to be put through their paces both as Crew and Helm, including 34 capsizes.

The glorious sunny weather was fortunately accompanied by a light to moderate strength mostly southerly breeze for the racing last Sunday.

The enterprises of Niall Campbell and Alan Salerman were respectively first and second followed by the Solo of Andrew Potts in a breeze which at one moment was quite full and the next was absent. It was testing conditions which made for enjoyable - if at times - frustrating sailing.

The second race was the first of this year's Arden Burgee series and with personal handicaps carried forward from the pursuit series, the fleet showed potential for some upsets in the results.

Andrew Potts, in his Solo, sailed a consistently good race to win closely followed by Jane Smee in an Enterprise 2n. A good fleet of dinghies on the water also made this an almost perfect day's sailing.

Arden promise a warm welcome to anyone who wishes to visit and find out more the club. For more information contact Ray 01386 554109 or Helen 01905 23298.