Prior secures Munson Cup crown with two Sunday Welland Yacht Club wins

The in-form Andy Prior won Welland Yacht Club’s Munson Cup after winning the final two rounds of the series on Sunday.

The first strong winds of the season arrived for the Spalding-based club, with the forecasted gusts leading to some hesitation from the group of sailors on launching.

But the sunshine persuaded them to launch for the fifth race in the Munson Cup series.

There were some strong gusts as the six boats set off – and Mark Scourfield (solo) was a victim to one of these before the race got underway and found himself taking a swim.

He managed to recover to make the start line in time, though.

At the start, series leader Prior (laser radial) found himself in trouble with the wind, so Scourfield led from Neil Tack and crew Rebecca Slator (graduate).

Helen Boyd (solo), Prior and Arden Follington (topper) were followed by Eric Murray (mirror) and all rounded safely, but the run before the wind was the next test.

All negotiated the gybe without mishap and it was Scourfield and Prior who led the fleet down the mile buoy straight, where everyone enjoyed some fast planing conditions.

Scourfield rounded the number four buoy just ahead of Prior, with Tack, Boyd, Follington and Murray in pursuit.

On the tack back, Prior overtook Scourfield, who took another swim and called it a day and retired.

Follington followed suit, but the remaining boats completed the two-lap race in the same order – with Murray also enjoying what the Welland water had to offer.

After handicaps Prior took the win ahead of Tack and Slator, with Boyd following in a well-deserved third place.

Race two was the sixth and final qualifying race for the Munson Cup and got underway with the wind and gusts not relenting.

Gail Follington joined the fleet in a topper, but once again there was a capsize before the start as Boyd went in the drink.

She did, however, but right her boat in time to join in the start and continued the race.

As they got underway it was Prior once again at the front, followed by Tack and Slator, Gail Follington, Boyd, Arden Follington and Murray.

The same course was set, which once again gave the crews some interesting moments and tested their boat handling skills in windy conditions.

Prior led from start to finish in his laser followed by Tack and Slator in second, with Boyd ahead of the chasing pack of Gail Follington and Murray.

Arden Follington had to retire as the topper was filling with water and unable to continue.

With that result, the Munson Cup was awarded to Prior, with Tom Bell in second and Alan Cox completing the top three.

The third and final race of the day was the third round of the six-race Afternoon Points series.

There was a slight decrease in the strength of the gusts, but still testing conditions for the crews.

With only four boats coming to the start line it was a little less hectic sail to the first buoy, with Arden Follington arriving first but getting into a head to wind situation.

That allowed Tack and Slator to steal through as the direction fluctuated, followed by Murray and Boyd.

The course remained the same and it was Boyd who made ground to chase Tack and Slator round the course, with Murray in third.

However, by the second lap Arden Follington had to once again retire.

The remainder of the race passed without too much incident and it was the graduate of Tack and Slator who finished in first place, followed by Boyd and Murray in second and third places respectively.

At the halfway stage in the series it is Arden Follington in first place overall, followed by Tack and Slator in second and Boyd in third.