How quickly we get used to luxury. How shocking is its sudden withdrawal writes Jonathan Weeks.

Ever since the formation of Dittisham Sail­ing Club, back in the '30s we're told, we existed with no services.

Even with the boathouse, built in the 90s, and the coming of electricity and water, the only waste permissible was for washing-up water discreetly dribbled Dart-wards.

Then, just a few short years ago the new clubhouse was completed and luxury broke out; changing rooms, showers, flushing toilets and hot water to wash-up.

Well on Sunday, just as members were pre­paring to go afloat for the final races in the Easter Points Series, the silent sewage system suddenly, silently, stopped.

There was no un­pleas­antness, either in the air or among the members, just a jolting reminder of our reli­ance on modern technology.

Fortunately all a dinghy needs is a bit of low-tech wind and there was plenty of that, so off we all went.

When you think about the problems on shore it was with unconscious irony that the race officer, Paul Honey, laid a novel P-shaped course with a gybe mark set in the strongest area of breeze.

This promised plenty of potential problems, but the most dramatic casualty was Mike Web­ster, who had an opportunity to try out his latest capsize-recovery system, a toe-loop on a recovery line, which worked splendidly.

Roger Morley took a tumble here too, but claimed later to have merely been trying out the latest prototype of his excellent dry-suit.

Another casualty was the normally stable Jonathan Weeks, who kept falling over, not at the difficult bits but in the lulls.

He claimed the stress of worrying about the sewage system had affected his concentration, but we think he might just be getting older.

The boisterous planeing conditions proved too exciting for some, who disappeared back to the clubhouse before the start.

We dare not publish their names but they know who they are and we know where they live.

The fleet is obviously getting better and more competitive because in the first race and for the first time in ages there was a general recall.

This happens when so many boats are over the line at the start that the race officers can't spot all the offenders.

It may have also had something to do with the fact that the fleet were anxious to get on with things, the first start having been delayed when a battery failed on one of the watches and Susi Stockbridge sat on the button which set off the starting signal prematurely.

Lasers go like stink in these conditions and a great battle broke out in the first race between Peter Symons, sailing for only the second time this season, and Alex Johns, who eventually won.

At the start of the second race a wind shift meant that it was almost impossible to start on starboard which led to some hairy moments as boats tried to dodge each other while desperate to get on to port tack.

Peter Symons got his own back in this race, running out a very comfortable winner on the water, with Mike Webster in a Solo second, a brilliant result with the Lasers going so fast off wind. All the Johns family sailors were represented, with Alex's dad Paul matching Jonathan capsize for capsize and mother Catherine soldiering on bravely in a Topper.

After the race Cath­erine produced an iced sponge cake to help restore the blood-sugar levels of the exhausted but happy sailors. It was suggested that she might like to do this either every Sunday or in conditions above force four.

She said she would think about it...

The Easter Points Series was won by Mike Webster in a Solo with Sue Thomas second in her Laser 4.7 and James Dodd third in his Phantom. The Early Summer Series starts next Sun­day, what new dramas await us only time will tell.