Our challenge for the defence of the Charity Pursuit Trophy began a week early this year with the news that we would be penalised one minute on the start-line because of our ongoing success in the Winter Series.

With the crew once again made up with a 50-50 split of guests from sponsors Kier and regular crew, and with owner and regular skipper/helm Jim committed to work, it was a somewhat different line-up that took their place at the committee boat end of the line at 10.33am.

The race officers had set a long first beat against the tide and with little wind it was clear that the Hill Head/Lee on the Solent shore would be the option as we made our way to the first mark. Unfortunately, and in common with half of the fleet, we had mis-read the course and were making for Browndown when the first mark was in fact East Bramble. Noticing the first spinnakers go up, we eased sheets and reached down into the first mark, rounding in 15th position. A flukey downwind leg with most boats trying to maximise the effect of the tide in the deeper Hill Head channel saw us improve to 6th around the leeward mark before taking another couple of boats on the next windward beat to Marsh.

The continued light winds and strong tide meant that the bigger boats were starting to carve through the fleet and the new DK46 "Erivale" and the IC45 "Atomic" passed us whilst we dodged stone breakwaters on the Lee-on-Solent beach front. A dice with the new Arcona 400 "Arc de Mer" and the Beneteau 40.7 "Tarka" was settled in favour of the much lighter and higher rated boats. As we approached Marsh the J109 "Joyride" who had taken the extraordinary, but apparently clever decision to stand offshore came in still ahead, so we rounded still in 6th place. With the race now running slightly over the anticipated finish time, the bigger and faster boats came into play with Swan 45's "Fever" and "McFly" both reeling us in. The first of the Ker 11.3's "El Gringo" was also able to squeeze in front, whilst we were not quite able to catch the first two Sigma 38's or the J109.

We crossed the line in 10th place feeling very pleased that we had defended our honour quite so successfully despite the minute penalty at the start and also the conditions favouring the larger, lightweight boats.