The Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club was the venue for the latest stage of the UK Dart 18 Catamaran Grand Prix over the weekend.

No fewer than 33 boats turned out for the fifth round of the prestigious sailing competition with the host club enjoying a 13-strong representation.

Competitors from as far afield as Liverpool featured in the two-day event that comprised six races – though the star attraction was undoubtedly world champion Dan Norman and his crew Mel Rogers.

Undisputed champion Norman would have started as hot favourite to top the pile, but he had completed only the first race when a mobile phone call informing him that his wife had gone into labour cut his competition short.

ISSC’s Scott Atkinson was the event organiser and together with crew Steve Baker, Atkinson was also the club’s highest-placed finisher, coming 13th overall with a net score of 62 over the six races.

The overall winners were Dave Roberts and crew Louise Roberts, hailing from Hampshire-based club Stokes Bay.

That pair won races two, three and five with third places in the other three, discarding one of those.

The net score of nine was four better than runners-up Paul Wakelin and crew Richard Glover of Mumbles Bay – that pair enjoying one win, two seconds, two fourths and a sixth discarded.

The ISSC – based at Sheerness – also accounted for 16th position through to 20th, with the pairings of Julian Brown and Emma Brown, Chas Bedford and Simon Dejong, Roger Baker and Mark Seager, James Bell and Claire Splendley, and Chris Goymer and Lee Marriott performing well.

ISSC’s highest finish in the individual races was the seventh place achieved by Atkinson and crew Steve Baker in race five.

“It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend’s sailing,” said Baker. “Scott must take a lot of credit for how he organised the event and we felt it was a great effort from our club not only to host the event but to put in some good sailing performances.”