Capsizes galore dog Morning Points Series on Welland

Sunny but windy conditions greeted the 12 competitors who lined up for races 5 and 6 of the Morning Points series at Welland Yacht Club.
With the wind blowing across the start line, timing was vital and it was Andy Prior in a Laser who was first away followed closely by Andy Agar in an OK and Gerri van Haren in a Phantom. A short distance behind these three were Nick Bonson and Helen Boyd in their GP 14 followed by Alan Chapman, Laser, Alan Cox (Laser Radial), Arden Follington, Alistair Mitchell (Laser Radials) and Mark Holland in the RS Vision.
Positions remained largely unchanged until the boats turned the corner into the wind where Prior found himself stuck head to wind, allowing Van Haren and Agar through.
Van Haren started to pull out a good lead on the downwind leg until his rudder became unexpectedly detached causing the boat to crash into the bank.
As the fleet fought to remain upright on this leg, Agar followed by Chapman and then the chasing Van Haren all overtook Prior by the bottom mark to end the first lap. There were a number of capsizes, including Holland and Cox, plus a number of boats decided to retire at the end of this lap.
The wind gradually increased on the second lap and Prior who was pointing slightly higher on the upwind leg, gradually clawed his position back and regained the lead which he held on to for the rest of the race, Agar finished second with Chapman in third and Van Haren fourth. Mitchell came in fifth slightly ahead of Cox in seventh with Arden Follington in eighth place.
Once handicaps were applied, Cox moved up to second and Mitchell third, Agar fourth, Van Haren fifth, Follington sixth and Chapman seventh.
Only five boats braved the second race of the day and it was Agar who got a bullet of a start, hitting the line flat out when the gun went.
Prior followed a little behind but to windward with Van Heran and Follington next. Agar and Prior remained in close contention all the way to the top mark with Prior just rounding first.
Agar gave chase as the boats entered the downwind leg but a big gust hit and he barrel-rolled the boat in spectacular fashion.
With Agar out of contention, Prior pulled out a good lead and finished well ahead.
Van Haren was looking good for second but capsized on the short beat to the finish line and had to retire.
This meant that the Laser Radials of Mitchell and Follington came in second and third with Agar a little distance behind having to not only recover from the capsize but also from a subsequent bang on the head with the boom.
These positions remained once handicaps were applied.
With a shortage of competitors willing to take part in a third race it was decided to abandon that race leaving just the two results for the day.