THE THREE Christchurch Harbour Sailing clubs - Christchurch, Mudeford and Highcliffe - have again been in action in the annual series of races known as the Harbour Challenge.

Last year's winners, Mudeford Sailing Club, hosted the first in the series, with Mike and Wendy Roach as race officers.

Tony Lock and Tony Evans of Christchurch were quickly into the lead in their Olympic single-hand Finns, in light and shifting winds.

There followed a pack of Lasers with Tim Reid and Mike Stagg (Mudeford) well up at the front with Luke Ridout, also in a Laser, but a Christchurch sailor.

As the handicaps were calculated, Reid just beat the second Finn by a couple of seconds and Charmaine Barnett in her Mirror Dinghy got a superb sixth place.

In the second race, John Snelling, another MSC member sailing an Otter, had an excellent start bang on the line at the gun just next to the committee boat and a good couple of seconds in front of everyone else.

Just at the right time, the wind backed enough so that he and Tim Reid could just make the top mark on.

Snelling got a huge lift on port after buoy four so success was a matter of hanging on and not making any mistakes.

Reid held off the Finns until the end of lap one on the second race, but then they seemed to pull away faster than they had done in the first race.

Ian Bray (Solo, Christchurch) and Mike Robinson (Laser, Highcliffe) had good races and this time it was the faster boats that did better on handicap.

So it is Highcliffe Sailing Club who carry a small, but probably significant, lead into the next series of racing on October 3.

Numbers were down for Poole Yacht Racing Association's popular Headstart Financial Services Folly Inn race, but those who competed Had a great time with a scorching run all the way to the finish.

In Class Two, the largest fleet, winners and losers were sorted by the Solent tides, the winning boat, Gerry Baxter's Tigerlily, getting it right by gybing inshore after Hurst.

The MG27, being driven by Poole YC's Bill Frewing, achieved speeds in excess of 14 knots and was the fastest boat in the fleet on corrected time.

In keeping with the 'Folly' theme, PYRA Captain Chris Blackburn presented bottles of champagne to the losers, on behalf of Headstart.

Keith Lovett took Class One in his new boat Firestarter, whilst Malcolm Smith gained those honours in Class A.

Lucy Macgregor and her team, including Poole club-mate Niss Booth, are the National Ladies Match Racing champions.

After scoring 5-1 at the weekend in J80s at Portland, she qualifies for the final of the National Match Racing Championships, and hopefully some international events, for the third year running.

To maximise the total weight permitted, there were six in the crew. The others were Mary Rook, Jo Brigg, Rachael Wigmore and Holly Scott.

The National Match Race Championships will be held at Portland on October 9 and 10.

Meanwhile, Macgregor's sister, Kate, is one of four Poole Yacht Club members that have earned selection to the Mirror National Squad, the others being Ania Booth and Jamie Knill with crew Louis Rumbold.

Lilliput Sailing Club's Regatta takes place at the weekend and there is still time to enter.

There are three races on Saturday and two on Sunday including The Lions Trophy event.

Dinghy racing includes a GP14 Open on Saturday whilst cruiser racing includes the Sadler 25/26 Class.

The LSC office will be open tomorrow from 9am to 4pm and 7.30pm to 11pm.

Entry forms and sailing instructions can be collected or downloaded from the Website: www.lilliputsc.org.uk

Mudeford Sailing Club host the Laser South Coast Grand Prix event on Saturday.

Signing on is at Vrouwe Johanne with the first of three races at 11am.

The race fee is £7.50 and there is no need to be an expert as all abilities and sail sizes are catered for.

Meanwhile, Highcliffe Sailing Club, on Mudeford Quay, are holding a Cadet Class World Qualifier event at Christchurch this weekend.

Poole Bowlplex ten-pin bowling centre's mascot, Roley the dog, was given the honour of officially launching a new fleet of Feva RS sailing boats at Rockley Watersports.

Roley was joined by a number of budding young sailors and Rockley Watersports and Bowlplex staff members in his first public engagement.

Rockley's managing director, Peter Gordon, said: "We recently purchased nine RS Feva XL sailing dinghies, investing over £30,000 in the fleet.

"The dinghies are especially popular with children who learn to sail at Rockley Watersports' centres in Poole and in France."