As crews prepared their boats for the start, the race officer was seen to be looking skywards and muttering to himself. Whatever he did or said his prayers were answered because shortly before the published start, the flat calm was replaced by a gentle breeze filling in from the north and to his relief he was able to set a course before the first boats reached the starting area. By the time the last entrants crossed the start line the wind had freshened slightly giving the later starters some advantage over the earlier starters.

Half way round the first lap, Wallace Nicholls and Tess Nixon in an Albacore were leading the fleet but were overtaken on the inside at the 'Y' mark, by Simon Hawkes in his Phantom. From then on Simon continued to draw away from the rest of the boats whilst Richard Cain and Owen Taylor, one of the last starters in an RS400, battled his way through the fleet into second place.

For those watching from the shore there was much changing of position as first one boat then another was able to find some advantage from the variable conditions that are found at Wimbleball. Glorious sunny wheather and a fairly constant breeze made for an enjoyable days sailing.