ROYAL Windermere Yacht Club’s James Nield was back to winning ways in the first race in the Commodore’s Prize series, taking first place in his Devoti D-One.

In a fluky westerly wind, James triumphed in Thursday evening’s Dinghy Handicap race after race officer Steve Bewsher set a challenging course to keep the dinghies away from the possible wind shadow under Claife.

The race had a particularly tricky leg with a tight reach, which made it difficult for the GP14s to use their spinnakers effectively. And gusty conditions created much jockeying for position as the wind shifts played to the strengths of different types of dinghies at different times.

The race consisted of GP14s, a Devoti D-One, Phantoms, an RS400 and last week’s winner Nigel Hutchinson in his Solo.

The lead was soon taken by three of the ‘slow’ handicap dinghies, which had a five minute start advantage, and setting the lead was ‘Boo’, a GP14 helmed by John Pawson with fierce competition from Amanda and Stephen Wilson in ‘Crackerjack’.

Meanwhile, the ‘fast handicap’ dinghies made up their five minute difference in Thursday’s often lively conditions, with Nield soaring ahead on a long, steady gust and sweeping into a lead which he maintained for the rest of the race, closely followed by ‘Boo’ (John Pawson) and Nigel Hutchinson in ‘Ultra-Sonic’, who finished overall second on handicap.

The second and third dinghy races in the Commodore’s Prize mini-series take place during Race Week.

n In other news, Bank Holiday Saturday’s Windermere 17 Foot class saw 13 boats out in overcast conditions competing in the upper lake in a race which took them to the most northerly mark on the lake.

‘Chameleon’ (Nigel Tullett) took the lead followed by ‘Fathom’ (Graham Murray) and three other boats in close succession, with the running order staying pretty much the same to the finish. Special mention goes to Harry Frith helming ‘Deva’, crewed by the club’s Commodore Simon McVey, for a best finish of the season.

The Flying Fifteens also competed on Bank Holiday Saturday with ‘Across the Lake’ (Miles and Cathy Thompson) taking first place, followed by ‘Factor Fifteen’ (Frank Kelly).