Tonnerre de Breskens 3 extended her lead in the RORC Season's Point Championship to 128.8 points with another win in the East Coast Race from Burnham to Ostend.

On Friday evening the 18 boats of the East Coast Race fleet gathered at the Branklet buoy, where the River Crouch and the River Roach meet, for the start in light winds of 8 knots coming from an Easterly direction.  After a clear start the fleet faced a beat out of the Crouch with Tonnerre soon in the lead. The route was a 97 mile course that took them north around Long Sand and the Galloper banks before heading to Ostend.

The conditions proved trying with only a few of the larger boats getting past Long Sand Head before the tide turned.  One of the fleet motored in when it became apparent that otherwise they would miss their lunch booking and another was forced to give up after getting entangled in some discarded fishnet. The winner overall was Tonnerre of Breskens 3, continuing its successes in the Cervantes Trophy and Myth of Malham races.

In all six yachts retired and the final finishers didn't complete the course until after midnight Belgian time. Extensive works are being carried out at the entrance to Ostend and one yacht ran aground, after finishing in the dark, on the rocks being dumped to build a new mole. Speedy assistance from an Ostend port support vessel got the yacht off the obstruction. No one was injured and after inspection the yacht has been able to rejoin the EAORA fleet on its week of racing in Belgium and Holland.

The Prizegiving was postponed because of the slow race and will be held at the Royal Burnham Yacht Club.