ANDY and Sue Flitcroft won three out of four races to retain their title in the Graduate Northern Sailing Championships.

The Bolton Sailing Club members led the way in a strong team performance as part of Bass Week on Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick.

There was close racing throughout the event and all three Bolton boats led the fleet at some point, all three had results in the top four in one or more races, and all three were in the prizes at the end of the event.

Ben and Gabe Hill finished third overall, and were only pipped to second in the final race after consistently competing up at the front of the fleet, while David Ivins and Holly Brooks were sixth.

Zena Martin finished eighth overall out of 23 boats in the Laser fleet, missing out on sixth by just half a point, and was first lady helm.

In the Medium Handicap, Jeff Robinson was sixth overall and first Supernova, with Nathan Waring 11th out of 22 boats.

Andrew Craig, rear commodore at Bolton Sailing Club, said: "The strong shifty gusts rolling down from the mountains behind the clubhouse meant serious hiking was required, yet at other times there were large holes, leading to becalmed boats, seemingly anchored at the rounding marks.

"David Ivins came up with the quote of the day, when describing how to deal with the fluky, gusting winds when he said 'the thing is not to get too depressed'.

"David has raced at every Bass week for the past 17 years."