With the Christmas festivities behind them, Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club returned to Stanborough Lakes for the first time in what seemed like an age.

Their last race before Santa's arrival had been cancelled due to a frozen lake.

The conditions for the first race of 2023 weren't much better, described by commodore of the club, Charles Adams, as a "horrid and very wintery day".

Illness also played a part in reducing the size of the fleet but the wind was at least playing ball, a sudden gust sending Roger Morse from slipway to start line in short order proof of that.

The rest followed and a lively race ensued with Morse coping well by himself in the double hander, winning the first race ahead of Dave Lambert and Mike Caddy.

The first junior was Angelo Hansen but brother Francis's day finished early after one too many trips into the freezing lake.

The worsening conditions meant only three boats went out for race two and they probably wished they hadn't when hit by a deluge of rain and a strengthening wind.

Morse again was triumphant with Lambert second and Hansen third although the real heroes of the day were Paul Shelley and Rodney Hansen in the safety boat.