LASER Radial ace Jon Emmett took the top spot at the recent Noble Marine Laser Radial Autumn Qualifier.

Emmett, a member of Castle Cove Sailing Club competed at the event at Sunderland Yacht Club.

It was The first autumn qualifier event of the autumn season and it attracted almost eighty 80 Laser Radial dinghies.

The first day of racing brought very light winds with exceptionally strong tides. This lead to a postponement until the wind filled in to a manageable state. The fleet was split into flights.

In the first race, the light winds meant that the course was shortened and in the second race, the wind had decreased even more.

Day two was much the same although the wind remained steadier.

Across the weekend, Each sailor completed four races with Emmett taking two first places, one a third place and a fourth place. With one discard, this left him on five points equal to Olympic sailor Ali Young. On countback, Emmett was the event champion.

Another Olympic sailor competing at the event was Lijia Xu of China a gold medal winner in the . Xu was coached by Emmett in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games, who was coached by Emmett, consequently winning the Gold medal.

The next Autumn Laser Qualifier will be is this weekend where Emmett, Xu and Young will all be competing at Paignton Sailing Club.

* The Weymouth and Portland Cruising Association’s first talk this autumn prompted some interesting discussions.

Vikki Harman and Grahame Kington spoke to members on how they could save money. The pair responded to a barrage of questions and everyone went away with plenty to think about.

Next Tuesday will be a social meeting when members will compare notes from the summer’s cruising and talk about winter projects. The bar will be open and Sailors from all Weymouth clubs are welcome to attend at Castle Cove Sailing Club for a drink and chat.

The talks will then resume the week after when Jess Mead will talk about the Community Seagrass Initiative.