For those who haven't kept their boats on the water all winter, it's time to finalise arrangements for the various Spring Series taking place across the Solent.

Preparation is all-important, starting from the bottom of the boat - antifouling and smoothing - and then working upwards.

Don't forget to collect sails from their winter servicing and try out new sails before the first race. Even if it is a tedious job in cold weather, strip and grease the winches and make sure you replace handles that got lost overboard last season.

Remember to put back all the safety equipment you've stored in the garage - lifejackets, in-date flares and buckets. Race organisers are increasingly carrying out random safety checks, and there are stiff penalties for those who fail. The IRC certificate will need renewing and it is wise to update charts with this year's racing marks - both names and positions can change.

Finally, assemble your crew and get them back into sailing mode. A boat preparation session followed by a longer visit to a warm and welcoming shore-side hostelry usually does the trick!

The Raymarine Warsash Spring Series and RSYC Spring Series start on March 13th with the Royal Lymington/ Lymington Town event a week later.

For dinghy sailors, the Brass Monkeys Regatta takes place at Portsmouth Sailing Club on March 5th/6th, and the Freezer Series at Weston Sailing Club on Southampton Water on March 12th and 13th.