WINDERMERE'S Ben Ainslie, Charles Ingham returned from holiday to lead the Chip and Charles Crossley Cups race from start to finish.

On Saturday Ingham in Chameleon, aided by his tactician crew Roger Ingham, headed the 13 yachts of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club's 17-foot class from the start of the north lake course.

He already had a good lead over Fred and Sally Tattersall's Liberty and Mark Ormerod's Pilgrim, helmed by Graham Tullet, by the windward mark at FBA North.

Gay Crossley's Whisper and John Curtis' Deva were fourth and fifth respectively.

On the downwind leg to a dan-buoy at Henholme, Pilgrim managed to get an inside turn on Liberty and rounded in second.

The position then reversed at FBA North, but Pilgrim got the better of Liberty on the next leg for a final result of 1 Chameleon, 2 Pilgrim, 3 Liberty, 4 Whisper, 5 Deva 6 Richard Parkinson's Falcon. Classic boat placings: 1 Whisper, 2 Deva, 3 Les Gorton's Snark.

Eight yachts started in the north lake in a light south-easterly breeze for Sunday's Chameleon Trophy and Reed Cup.

Falcon led at the end of the first lap followed by Pilgrim, Whisper and Chameleon.

The wind then dropped and places changed, Chameleon winning from 2 Pilgrim, 3 Falcon, 4 Whisper, 5 Paul Harkness' Naiad, 6 Snark.

Classics: 1 Whisper, 2 Naiad, 3 Snark.

n AFTER a week of heavy rain a large RWYC Flying Fifteen fleet welcomed bright conditions and a fresh northerly breeze for Saturday's race.

From a start near Henholme Bev Armer and Chris Barnes in Ffidget got away from the rest of the fleet from the weather end of the line, but the west shore provided the best route to Wray and David Brockbank and Rob Parfitt in Five rounded the mark ahead of Andrew Kirk and Helen Ginsberg in Zephyr, followed by a closely bunched group including Ffidget, Miles and Cathy Thompson in Across the Lake and Frank Kelly and Brian Garvey in Fiscal Folly.

The breeze became patchy and variable on the way down the lake and positions changed through the fleet, but Five held on to win with Across the Lake second and Fiscal Folly third.

Tony Cheeseright and Rod Mostyn in Toff were first in the Classic fleet.

On Sunday, with an uncertain breeze forecast later from the south-east, the fleet set a north lake course and Five led a close group on to the spinnaker leg, with Andrew Kirk and Litton Ledger's in Zephyr, Across the Lake, Graham Murray and Paul Haslam in Fever and Terry Tinn and Chris Collier in Flying Ferret among the leaders.

The fluctuating breeze created frustrating conditions at the mark and the fleet split for the beat back down the lake.

Flying Ferret struck away down the west shore and found slightly better conditions to arrive at the mark ahead of Five, with Zephyr and Across the Lake some way behind.

The final spinnaker leg to Red Nab caused more upsets with unpredictable airs wafting some boats ahead while neighbouring boats stayed put.

Five took the lead to win yet again with Zephyr second and Across the Lake third.