POOLE Yacht Club members Pete Frith and Martin Cooney are back on the top of the local Osprey Open podium after an eight-year absence.

In the Poole-hosted event, the pair produced a trio of aces in testing conditions during the reduced-race series featuring a 20-strong fleet.

The first race saw Cooney and Frith at the windward mark first, closely followed by Will and George Odling.

The former, however, went for a dip just past the windward mark.

The Odlings went for the kite then a swim too which led to an exploding mast foot and an end to their regatta.

Andy Barker and Mike Atkinson took over the lead before the adjustment rope on their trapeze broke.

Paddy Lewis and Peter Greig went on to win, but not without pressure from Cooney and Frith who had regained their composure to close the gap.

But the challengers capsized for a second time down the last run to eventually finish third.

The Poole pair, however, went on to clinch the title by winning the last three races. In the second race, which was as breezy as the first, nearly half of the fleet returned to the beach.

Cooney and Frith saw off the challenge of Lewis and Greig to take the gun.

Overnight, the wind dropped a little and repairs had been done to the fleet’s boats. Lighter wind was a welcome relief for most and both the second-day races had more boats vying for the top places.

It was Cooney and Frith, however, who took both races to secure top podium honours, the first time they have won it since 2004.

Lewis and Greig were second in the day’s first race, just ahead of Alan Laing and Steve Brown, who sailed the shifts well to reverse the placings in the final race.

The fleet was warming up for their Nationals being held at Parkstone YC in July.