THIRTY-three boats started the sixth round of the WCA's Maiden Marine-sponsored Winter Series in a fresh south-westerly wind.

The race officer took the fleet into south lake for a bit more rock-dodging on a course which started close to Hawkshead ferry and dog-legged down via Storrs starboard mark to Storm Temple on the western shore.

Steve Goacher's Sonata Eric the Boat again won on handicap after a long battle with the Sonatas Saraband and Moonlight with the Micro 18 Speculation close behind.

But Keith Ducker's Cork 1720 The Flying Duckman took line honours by nearly four minutes, only 41 seconds behind the leaders and in third place on corrected time, while fellow 1720 Luvly Jubbly was two and a half minutes behind him.

Mark Brammer's big X99 X Static was more mobile than its name suggests and, with apparently the whole of Whitehaven United football club as crew, worked his way up in the Sportsboat class to finish ahead on the water of John Curtis's Hunter 707, which suited the fresh condition.

The Hunter finished a minute ahead on corrected time, the two of them finishing fourth and fifth in the Sportsboat class behind the flying Corks.

Maiden Marine partner Elaine Middleton was overjoyed at ninth place overall in her Sonata Sonateigna after a tremendous battle with Paul Burnell's Sonata Point 5, which lost its spinnaker sheet clip in the last few hundred yards to the finish, losing out by just 12 seconds.

The Fast Handicap class featured a stirring battle between Formula Ones Hitch Hiker and Amigo, J24 Jibberish and Bolero Bubbles.

At first it was anyone's race with the four boats crossing tacks ahead and behind each other until Hitch Hiker tangled with Granville Buck's Albin Viggin Tamianka and had to do penalty turns, leaving the J24 to forge ahead to try and overcome its handicap disadvantage.

Bubbles and Amigo battled on until Hitch Hiker caught up and Dave Anderson was foxed by the shifty squalls into missing the windward mark and had to jibe the Bolero round below the mark, clear of two F1s hurtling in on starboard.

Amigo and Hitch Hiker were side by side, haunted by Bubbles and Issy Caffoor's fast Sonata Hanky Panky over the line, one and half minutes ahead of the o other F1 with the J24 splitting them on correction time, although more than five minutes ahead on the water.

In the Cruiser Class, Tony Adamson's Hunter Medina Trilogy won a spirited battle with John Dyson's First 210 Soirit, the pair gaining 17th and 18th places overall in conditions which suited them well.

It was a great race in the lively conditions, the rain staying away until most o f the boats had finished.

Results:

First overall and Mid Fleet - Eric the Boat, Sonata.

Sports Boat: The Flying Duckman, Cork 1720.

Fast Fleet: Hitch Hiker, Formula One.

Cruisers: Trilogy, Hunter Medina.