Results / RS800 Fat Face Racing Circuit Draycote Water SC - 27/03/2004

Fat Face racing landed at Draycote at the end of March for another round of RS800 competition, with conditions being quite the opposite to the last event, a smooth glassy calm. After a few cups of tea and an hour or so postponement the wind filled across the lake, but was always rather patchy, with some big holes. Race one got away with the fleet splitting and aiming for the corners in roughly equal numbers, with no one able to trapeze in the light breeze. David Sayce and Chris Doe were looking good going right up the middle, hotly pursued by Alex Davies and Sarah Hughes. About three quarters of the way up the beat the wind decided to shift left leaving the two boats in the middle on the layline, and those in the corners in a lot of trouble. Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel used their get out of jail card early on to find a gust from nowhere and came trapezing in from the right corner to just lead David and Chris around the windward mark. No one else got the magic gust, much to the disappointment of the rest of the fleet! Down the run Steve and Martin stretched away, and Alex and Sarah managed to just sneak round ahead of David and Chris with Adrian Coatsworth and Julia Jenkins catching up rapidly in fourth. With no real beat, the race was a procession for the second lap, with no place changing, the race officer wisely shortened and Steve and Martin took the winners gun from Alex and Sarah with David and Chris securing third and Adrian and Julia fourth. Race two started after a bit of a break to re lay the course, and a tricky beat saw Spod Olive and Jane Norris leading round the top mark, Matt Adams and John Date showed some great speed to right up in the chase for the lead, with Steve and Martin buried and rounding in fifth. Get out of Jail card number two was produced, and showing some superb downwind speed through the fleet Steve and Martin hit the front and gain the lead from Spod and Jane to take his second win. Spod and Jane took second from Matt and John with Alex and Sarah recovering from an awful first beat to grab fourth. The race officer took a wise decision and sent the fleet in as the wind was failing rapidly, leaving four races to be completed on the Sunday�.. with fingers crossed for a better breeze. Sunday dawned with a gentle but steady and even breeze across the lake, enough for single wiring, and slowly built through the day to a twin wire breeze (upwind only!). Steve and Martin set off over the horizon in race three, leaving everyone else scrapping for second, the race for second was won by David and Chris with Ronnie Millar and P Marshall in third and Spod and Jane fourth. Race four and a similar scenario, except David and Chris got the break as well, Steve and Martin taking another win from David and Chris, Alex and Sarah just holding Matt and John in the fight for third. Race five and the same again, but Ian Martin and Claire Booth won the race for third from Alex and Sarah. Steve and Martin kept the perfect score line ticking over and David and Chris in second showing some great speed. Race six and Steve and Martin stuck it out to take the win and make sure they were discarding their result from race one (a first), Ian and Claire found some good pressure down the last run to go from fourth to second and secure fifth overall, Alex and Sarah just holding out David and Chris for third, leaving them third overall with David and Chris taking a comfortable second overall after their excellent string of second places early on Sunday A master class of light wind RS800 sailing from Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel see them winning their home event and leading the Fat Face circuit, next stop Stokes Bay in May. Can anyone catch them?