COMPETITORS in the Menai Strait Regattas Fortnight, including many from Wirral and Merseyside, were left cursing the weather for much of the first half of the festival.

There was precious little wind and lots of rain which made for very poor competition.

Conditions were so bad at Caernarvon on the first Thursday that all but a handful of crews opted to stay ashore. The rain was pelting down and there was no breeze at all half an hour before the start time.

The popular race from Beaumaris to Caernarvon on the Wednesday had to cut short at Menai Bridge after a rain-hit drift from the start and Friday's racing at Caernarvon saw courses drastically reduced so that some classes did not even cover half a mile.

The festival opened with a drift at Beaumaris on the first day, with not even one lap completed but at least most yachts completed the full distance on the Tuesday at the Bangor Town Regatta, although the breeze died towards the finish.

Fortunately, there was a sunshine finish to the opening week at Port Dinorwic and a good breeze, which meant all that had gone on before was pushed firmly into the background.

Mercator (John Smith) had a good run in the Mersey Mylnes, winning four times. Chris Kay in Meridian also took one first place.

The majority of West Kirby Falcons were due out in the second week, but first half successes went to David Pilling in Hawkeye, Richard Corner in Honey Buzzard, Richard Cornah in Sooty Falcon and Gareth Owen in Ratonero.

Winners in the West Kirby Hilbres included Roger Glover in Highwayman three times, Gareth Wright in Hie and Hinemoa, owned by the Tongue, Foster, Pyke syndicate.

The Hoylake Operas, in their Centenary year, produced a good turn out. Gavin Melling in Silvana and Peter Jones in Carmen gained two successes each. Mike Jones in La Tosca also took a winning gun.

Ian Eccles chalked up a hat-trick of victories in the West Kirby Stars in Jupiter, while Richard Booth in Vega led the fleet on the other two occasions.

Crews were hoping for much better conditions for the second week, when Hoylake and Royal Mersey stage Regattas off Beaumaris.

Wirral sailors were among the prize winners in the Red Wharf Bay Sailing Club Anglesey Offshore Dinghy Race on Sunday.

It was a slow passage from Beaumaris to Traeth Bychan with Hornets from Port Dinorwic sweeping the board in the Monohulls. But in the Catamaran section, James Douglas from Dee in his Dart 18 Bogtrotter was runner-up with Chris Delves from West Kirby in a Nacra 18 in third place. There was a 70-strong turn out.

The Lomas Trophy for GP 14s, which had a 20-strong fleet, went to Steve Stratton from Hoylake.