Results / RS800 Racing Circuit Event Stokes Bay SC - 13/06/2009

5 Race Winners and a legendary RS Ball

Another great turnout of 35 RS800s descended on a warm and sunny Stokes Bay for the 4^th round of the UK Circuit. Typical of a testing Stokes weekend’s racing was the challenge to evaluate the importance of the tide and wind variances across the race area which presented some difficult strategic decisions.

With the weekend coinciding with the legendary annual RS ball, the 8s were joined by another 6 RS fleets sailing at both Stokes and Lee for a night of catching up with friends and hard partying into the early hours at Gosport’s Submarine Museum causing a few sore heads and late starts in the morning!

With no less than 5 different race winners from the five races there are currently an abundance of very talented teams on the circuit this year all capable of producing the goods on the day.

After racing, much head scratching and maths was occurring between the main contenders. The challenging conditions produced a high scoring regatta and it was a close call as to who would be the weekends champ. As it turned out only 2 points separated the top 3 and it was Webber/Baldwin who emerged triumphant from Fitzjohn-Sykes/Allin 2^nd and Singleton/Singleton in 3^rd.

Chris Webber, now in his 2^nd RS800 season was delighted with their first RS800 event win. “It was clear from the outset that it was going to be a high scoring weekend. We just kept chipping away at it. Never giving up when it looked bad and always trying to shave any points we could off our score line” said Webber. Definitely a team to watch with the Eurocup and Nationals just around the corner.  “If only I had maintained my 2^nd place in the last race!” joked Ralph Singleton, now back sailing with his daughter Sophie.

Silver fleet champs were Mick Whitmore and Sarah Smith and another notable achievement were class newcomers Theo Galyer and Jack Spencer running away with a bullet in the last race.

The next stop on the circuit is one of the class’s favourite venues, big Beer in Devon on 27/28 June, to relive the fond memories of the big rolling waves, a pretty bay and friendly little sailing club.