POOLE made a flying start as they launched their bid to regain the Dorset Novice League title they won four years running from 2012 until 2015.

The club fielded two teams for the first time – and won both first-round galas.

The Poole yellow team led the way with a 41-point victory margin over nearest challengers Wareham and District at the Dolphin Pool.

They won 20 of the 41 events and incurred only two so-called 'speeding tickets' – penalties for exceeding the cut-off times imposed to deter higher-standard swimmers.

Luca Sartorius won the 50m butterfly in both his own 11/u age group and the 12/u category.

Other winners included 14/u swimmers Holly Chandler in the 50m backstroke and Charlie Meek (boys’ 50m butterfly) and 12-year-olds Simone Khambekar (50m backstroke), Isabella Evans (50m freestyle) and Marley Smalling (boys’ 50m backstroke).

Eleven-year-olds Felip Pepucha and Daniel Axford-Smith won the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, respectively.

Mark Talalaykin and Lily Edwards achieved a boy-girl double in the 10/u 50m backstroke while Abigail Chevis won the girls’ 10/u breaststroke.

Blandford were third, Seagulls fourth, Weymouth fifth and North Dorset Turbos sixth.

Christchurch-based Seagulls’ good form produced 32 personal-best times – including relay splits – but also 11 speeding tickets which cost them any chance of victory.

Their winners included 11/u swimmers Beccy Vaughan in the 50m breaststroke and Isabelle Moody in the 50m backstroke, Daisie Bullen in the 14/u butterfly and Seraphina Beacham in the breaststroke for the same age group, and 10-year-olds Lilly Durward in the 50m butterfly and Finley Lock in the boys’ freestyle.

Result: 1 Poole yellow 186, 2 Wareham 145, 3 Blandford 134, 4 Seagulls 127, 5 Weymouth 107, 6 North Dorset Turbos 98.

At Dorchester, the Poole black team won by seven points from Tornadoes of South Dorset.

Poole were restricted to 11 wins with one speeding ticket and one disqualification.

Ringwood Seals, the Hampshire club who swam as a guest team last year and won the league at the first attempt, were third.

Lucy Gibbs was a double winner for Poole in the 10/u 50m butterfly and breaststroke.

Other Poole winners included 14/u swimmers Xavier West in the 14/u 50m butterfly and Carter Stuhlmacher in the breaststroke, Zack Studley in the 12/u breaststroke, Tilly McHugh in the 12/u backstroke, Millie Wicks in the 10/u backstroke and Claire Stuhlmacher in the 11/u butterfly.

Result: 1 Poole black 159, 2 Tornadoes of S Dorset 152, 3 Ringwood Seals 140, 4 West Dorset 130, 5 Clayesmore 115, 6 Bridport Barracudas 111.