The 5th Marine Industry Regatta saw 28 boats on the start line in beautiful weather with a nice Force 2 throughout the day giving shorts and T-shirt sailing for the three races. The Boating Business boat is far left and just about to grab pole position at the first start. With all three races counting Adrian Miles took the Boating Business Anniversary Trophy with a 3rd and two 1st places for a total of five points and a six point win over second placed Hyde Sails, with Richard Lovering putting in a 1st, 2nd and 8th for 11pts. The British Marine Federation (BMF) boat skippered by Dan Taylor came in with a 2nd, 6th and 4th for 12 points and 3rd place.

The event began on the Tuesday evening when the skippers collected their boats - the event uses Sunsail's fleet of Jeanneau Sun Fast 37s based in Port Solent - and then met up with crews in the Quayside bar in the Sunsail building. As a precursor to the supper, Jim Saltonstall, a trustee of the John Merricks Sailing Trust, accepted a cheque for £3,000, made up from £100 per boat donation as part of the entry fee. But with only 28 boats donating £100 each, an additional £200 was required to get to the 3k.

£100 came from Sunsail, which had to withdraw one of its two boats at the last minute, but Sunsail's Chris Satchwell insisted the JMST donation remain in place. Another £100 came from the Earls Court Boat Show, which couldn't put a boat into this year's event because of a business commitment that was taking up the ECBS team's time - see separate story. So James Brooke put some Whyte & Mackay whisky in the Goody Bags and gave us a cheque for £100 for the JMST. And we collected another £56.23 with an impromptu tin shake around the bar area...

This year's entries saw a lot of new companies - EP Barrus, Garmin, LA Marine, Peters & May, Savage Marine, Shoosmiths and Wild Graphics all entered one boat, while BAE Systems entered two boats. The supper was the best of the five events so far, with the Sunsail caterers excelling themselves. And the two-buckets of beer per boat included in the entry fee seemed to go down well, helping keep the bar going until midnight.

Race day on Wednesday dawned with rain and a gloomy overcast sky but, by the time the fleet was off Gilkicker Point, the clouds had cleared to leave a blue sky and a building breeze. The day's racing was not without its incidents, with the Boating Business boat claiming the pin position at the first start to lead the fleet up the first beat until advertisement manager Lorraine Curtis managed a graceful swan dive off the transom during a tack. Luckily the Avon-supplied photographer's RIB was only 50ft away as Ms Curtis broke the surface and Alan Morgan and his crew got her back on board the BB boat within minutes. Damp and slightly shaken, but still smiling...

The second start saw a bit of a melee as four boats came together for a collective port and starboard incident that saw huge damage to one of the boats and a broken hand for crew member Nicky Broughton on the boats.com boat. Unfortunately none of the skippers involved saw fit to retire from the race after this incident. Alastair Walton, skipper of the boats.com boat, told BB: "Nicky is still quite shaky, but hopes she will make it back to work next week some time."

Start excitements aside, the racing was close and decisive at the top, with only three boats in contention for the BB Anniversary Trophy. Of these, Dan Taylor's 3rd-placed BMF boat was the newcomer. Adrian Miles in the Bruntons boat has been threatening the top places since the event started and was 4th last year, while Richard Lovering brought Hyde Sails in 2nd last year. Of the others in the top 10, the Oval Stainless/Tank Company boat brought a ringer on board in the shape of one Dan Hill (MD of DML) to take them to 7th; their best result so far (to the annoyance of Cooney Marine). Thornham Marina, Barton Marine and IPC - helmed this year by Sarah Norbury - were all up there again. Last year's winner - Ian Dawson in Kayospruce - came in 7th, but went away with the Oval Stainless Most Improved Boat Award...

View Claire Frew's pictures from the event on our photo gallery.

A great evening's networking and a great day's sailing - watch out for details of next year's Marine Industry Regatta.