THE inaugural David Franks Cup saw a great weekend of sailing action on The Solent.
The Royal Yacht Squadron hosted the regatta to honour David Franks, for his contributions to the Cowes Etchells fleet.
The event — held over the weekend of September 14-15 — featured 16 boats, with a mix of Corinthian, youth and professional teams.
Day one of the regatta was delayed due to unfavourable weather conditions.
But after a short postponement, the wind picked up and the fleet headed towards Bramble's Bank for three races.
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The opening race saw Louise Racing, skippered by Tommy Hough, take an early advantage and win.
No Dramas, led by Andrew Lawson and Michael Beckett, finished second, with youth team Mano, led by Harry Blythe, taking third.
The second race of the day saw a small increase in breeze and a mix-up in results.
Ted Blowers' team on Audrey took the win, after Shaun Frohlich's Exabyte crossed the line first — but he was penalised for an early start.
The last race of the first day saw Tommy Hough bag his second win, to lead overnight.
The second day of racing had an identical forecast to that of the first, with a one-hour postponement before the fleet was called to start.
There was slightly more breeze, of around 12-14 knots, for most of the day.
The prize-giving ceremony was held at the Royal Yacht Squadron, with Rob Goddard and his team of Tom Blowers and Jack Muldoon finishing seventh overall, but taking the accolade for first Corinthian overall.
The top three at the International David Franks Cup were No Dramas in third place, Louise Racing in second, and Audrey, made up of Ted Blowers, Oli and Ellie Aldridge, and Vita Heathcote, taking the trophy.
The Royal Yacht Squadron was thanked for hosting a great regatta, with world-class race courses and management.
The first edition of the trophy was a memorable one, with the fleet looking forward to many editions of the competition in the future, said organisers.
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