Mick Bradfield has taken the early advantage in the race for the Lake Keepit Sailing Club's club championship.
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The Breeza sailor, and former club champion, claimed the honours in Sunday's opening heat.
The first of eight heats to be staged throughout the season, club commodore Tim Corben reported that a fleet of 12 faced starter Bob O'Brien, the boats milling around, "very slowly, with a slight breeze that could not make up its mind about the direction to come from".
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Quirindi's Michael Juchau in his 'Gem 20' class catamaran was the first away, "a whisker" ahead of Bradfield in his laser.
Kevin Overton reeled them in to lead up to the first mark, closely followed by Bradfield.
"But, the whimsical breeze died as the majority of the boats headed directly to the buoy and came in a little from the east, favouring several boats who took advantage of that side of the course and scored many boat lengths on the becalmed opponents," Corben reported.
The race continued with many wind shifts, which favoured one side of the course and then the other.
"Conditions were frustrating and required much concentration and a great deal of luck to get some consistent wind and keep up boat speed," he said.
Still, after an hour-and-a-half of sailing the battle for the honours went down to the wire, Corben reporting that after three triangles and a windward return "the finishers came from everywhere".
First across the line was Juchau, closely followed by Bradfield, "then a crowd of two catamarans and two more laser dinghies".
On adjustment to corrected time, laser dinghies filled the top three placings with Bradfield taking first, Corben (Barraba) second and Robert Kelly (Tamworth) third.
