THE action came thick and fast in the ever popular 62nd annual running of the West Kirby Sailing Club Wilson Team Racing Trophy event for the British Team Racing Championship on West Kirby Marine Lake during the weekend.

In the end it came down to a West Kirby Hawks v New York YC Team Extreme final for the second year running.

The Hawks, who recently retained their position as National Team Racing Champions, set out as favourites to avenge their 2010 defeat but there was disappointment again as the American visitors delivered the goods when it mattered to win by 3 races to one to retain the Trophy.

A total of 32 teams from the UK, Ireland and the USA took part and more than 350 races in Firefly dinghies were completed in changeable conditions before the knock-out stages involving the top eight at the conclusion of the three day round robinpreliminary stage.

In the quarter-finals of the KO there were wins for WK Hawks against Oxford and Cambridge 2-0, West Kirby over BUSA Lads 2-1, New York Extreme against Royal St George YC Knights from Ireland 2-0 and Spinnaker at the expense of Buns and Ammo (USA) 2-0.

At the semi-final stage West Kirby Hawks got the better of Spinnaker and NY Extreme ended the challenge of West Kirby SC, both 2-1 The Hawks team comprised Ben Field with Tom Foster, Dom Johnson crewed by Debs Steele and Andy Cornah with Hamish Walker as the crew. They will be the UK No One in the World championship at Schull in Ireland later in the year.

Team Extreme made up mainly of graduates from Yale University will obviously present the top American challenge in Ireland. Zach Brown, Thomas Barrows and Stu McNay helmed with Emmet Smith, Marla Menninger and Michael Hassion taking the crewing duties.