It was an ideal start for Paul Humphreys’ return to the helm for a third stint as president after a 10-year absence.

“It was a beautiful day and we had a really good roll-up,” he said.

“There was probably just shy of 80 or 90 there for the seniors and another 40 for the juniors, which for the first race of the season is a great result.

“Most of us were just easing our way back into it after a few months off, but it was a great way to start off.”

For some it was an oppor­tunity to shake off the cobwebs of winter, while other competitors set off as if they hadn’t missed a step.

For Kelly Ford, it was ­probably both.

Ford came into the weekend having not raced for a year because of a foot injury, but looked as though he hadn’t missed a beat en route to claiming the opening race of the season.

After setting up a dominant lead on the swim leg, Ford held off a challenge from Kevin Picton on the bike leg to take victory, with Ben Peterson ­finishing third.

The women’s event was punctuated by the outstanding performances of two of the club’s promising juniors.

Seventeen-year-old Nicky Hollingsworth finished in a time of one hour and 10 ­seconds, and was closely ­followed by 16-year-old Courtney Wevers, who finished a further eight seconds back.

The girls engaged in a tight battle throughout the race, exchanging the lead on a ­number of occasions, with both recording personal bests in what is an encouraging sign for the coming season.