Results / RS400 RS800 Inland Championship Grafham Water SC - 07/10/2017

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RS400 Inland Championship 7-8 October 2017 at Grafham Water SC

Healthy Attendance at the 2017 RS400 Inlands

On Sat 7th October, 37 RS400s arrived for their annual pilgrimage to Grafham Water Sailing Club for the 2018 Inland Championships.

The fleet launched into a gusty NW F4 at the North Western end of the lake providing some sizable, thought provoking shifts for the fleet to get their teeth into.

After a general recall, Race 1 got immediately underway under a black flag, with previous National Champ Mike Simms and newly drafted in crew Jack Holden from Carsington SC digging hard into the left hand side of the course upwind and then carefully picking their way through the gusts downwind to take the win. Only after the race did Jack admit to their nearly missing the start, only realizing that it was a 3,2,1 start sequence, and not 5,4,1! Chris Pickles (last year’s Inland Champ), with Laser star crew Jack Hopkins from Delph followed closely in 2^nd with Sam and Dad, John Knight in 3^rd.

Race 2 saw the wind clocking slightly right and this made for some significant gains by those that dared to find the best of the right hand side. By the end of the race three completely different boats filled the top 3 spots. Richard Gray and Jon Dyas from Queen Mary SC were flying in the conditions and took the win from Ben Williamson and Charlie Ticehurst from Welton SC and then Paul and Mark Oakey from Porchester SC (also previous National Champions)  in third.

In Race 3 the PRO Peter Saxton re-aligned the course to take account of the shifting breeze which was still holding in strength. Big gains were now being had downwind with strong gusts down either side of the run, with many complaining about missing out in the middle of the course. Mike and Jack lead was never really challenged and won the race convincingly from Sam and John Knight with Dave Exley and Mark Lunn from Leigh and Lowton (recently crowned Northern Tour Champs) nipping into 3^rd.

Tired bodies made their way back to the shore with many tails of score board snakes and ladders. Indeed, I could not find anyone who thought they had not already sailed their discard due to mixed fortunes and the very high quality of the fleet.

As usual, the quality of sailing was matched by some legendary social, both at the club and the local Wheatsheaf Pub where some of the Northern contingent were once again rumored to be lining up shots inevitably followed by a bout of table walking!

Lighter winds greeted the competitors on Sunday morning as they tucked into a hearty Grafham full brekkie. Would the lighter winds bring a different group of sailors to the front?

Race 4 kicked off in a F2, once again peppered with holes and shifts to frighten even the smallest pond sailors (that’s size of pond, not sailor!). Howard Farbrother and Louise Hosken from Queen Mary SC (also previous winners of this event) had clearly got out of bed on the right side and were loving the conditions (“It felt just as holey as a piece of Swiss Cheese at Queen Mary SC – home from home” they were heard to say!). However, as Howard and Louise led at the end of the second lap, they didn’t notice the shortened course flag and merrily led the entire fleet on a wild goose chase of an unnecessary 3^rd lap. All that is, except eagle eyed Kayleigh Roberts who dared her helm Jacob Ainsworth (South Sheilds SC) to cross the line on their own to take the bullet, closely followed by equally aware duo of Christopher Stanton and Jules Thorne from Queen Mary who took second place. By the time the rest of the fleet had done their extra lap, Howard and Louise had managed to hold everyone off  to take third.

By now we had had no fewer than 10 different boats finishing in the top 3, after just 4 races. Phew!

In Race 5, Dave Exley and Mark Lunn quickly established a lead on the first beat by staying in the pressure on the left and managed to hold onto the same side of the course downwind hotly pursued by Stuart Halman and Anna “Jager Bomb” Walsh from Leigh and Lowton SC. These two boats held onto their positions until the finish with Sam and John Knight pulling though the pack to slip into third.

In a dying breeze and after a small postponement to move the windward mark right the PRO once again magiced up a square windward leeward course to finish off before the breeze fizzled out. Once again, it was light wind gurus Howard and Louise who nailed it to take the race from Richard Catchpole and Gary Coop from Leigh and Lowton SC and Mike Simms and Jack Holden in 3^rd.  By finishing the last race in better than 7^th Mike and Jack were crowned 2018 Inland Champions.

At the Prize Giving, Mike thanked Pete Saxton and his team for the well run event and Pete presented a special prize to Jacob and Kayleigh for cleverly spotting his flag signals.

The next event is the End of Season Championships at Queen Mary on the 11^th and 12^th of November with the not to be missed bash on the Sat night.

Report by Dave Exley

RS800 Inland Championship 7-8 October 2017 at Grafham Water SC

Magic Marine RS800 Grand Prix Event Number Six

Just two weeks after finishing the Nationals at Stokes Bay the RS800 fleet convened for the 2017 Inland Championships at Grafham Water SC.  This was the sixth and penultimate event in the Magic Marine Grand Prix Series.  Having won the Nationals convincingly with Bill Vennis-Ozanne, Chris Rashley rocked up with current 49er World Champion Dylan Fletcher.  The rest of the fleet were excited by the prospect of trying to gain a victory over these sailing legends.  A dull but moderately windy morning greeted the fleet and with another superstar race team in the form Peter and Sue Saxton the competitors were set for a great weekend.

The first race saw the last two national champions Luke and Emma McEwen and Chris Rashley at the front of the fleet hotly pursued by Tim Gratton and Fiona Hampshire (who also won two races at the Nationals).  Ella and James Moreland,who also enjoy a blow, were also in good form taking forth behind race winner Chris Rashley.  Your correspondent and ”old man” of the fleet committed a school boy error, not reading the sailing instruction which stated a 3-2-1 start sequence (it is starting to get cold !!!) so decided to start two minutes behind the fleet but mangled to get back to 9th after three very quick laps.  Race two followed a very similar pattern with Chris and Luke leading the way but this time with Andrew and Maddy Fenner taking an excellent third.  This time your correspondent who was lying 4/5th at the time and should have known better, got tangled up with four RS400s who were sailing on the same course and took an early bath before almost being garrotted on the last gybe by another RS800.  Not a good day so far !!!!  The last race of the day again saw another 1-2 from the leaders but this time with Martin Orton and Ian Brooks taking 3rd. Ella and James who had problems making the finish line (was that a swim for Ella as well?) crossed the line in 3rd but were over the line on a U flag start and so were unfortunately disqualified. So overnight the sailing rock stars Chris and Dylan were leading from Luke and Emma, with Martin and Ian in third.

Sunday was always forecast to be a lighter affair and so it turned out to be.  The first race was a snakes and ladders race with Joe and Hannah Joyner leading round the first mark, eventually to finish 3rd, Ralph and Sophie Singleton leading after lap two , but finishing 5th, Luke and Emma sailing consistently for another 2^nd, but yet again Chris and Dylan this time just sneaked through to take their fourth bullet.  Race five saw Chris and Dylan and the Singletons again try a port tack flier , as they had both done in race four.  After ducking the whole fleet (that didn’t feel good !!)  they headed off into some more favourable breeze on the right hand side and lead round the first mark and for the rest of the race.  Mary Rook and Hugh Brayshaw took third. After finishing second in race five the Singletons were desperate for one final bash at beating Chris and Dylan, the event winners with a race to spare.  The final race was again very light and very shifty.  Chris and Dylan very kindly treated the fleet to another master class going up the first beat sailing very smoothly in the light airs closely followed by the Singleton.  The Singletons gybed into some slightly better breeze to keep the pressure on and led round the leeward mark.  Another shifty beat followed but with the Singletons holding the pack at bay.  Down the last run the Singletons and Chris and Dylan gybed off into what they thought was better breeze.  Then the wind started to fill in from behind and from the right.  The Singletons broke cover to pick up the new breeze which thankfully also headed leaving the them room to sail over Chris and Dylan and gybe for the finish.  Even then it wasn’t over as Chris sailed on before gybing and approached the line at a tighter but faster angle. BANG the gun went and the Singletons had just hung on to claim the first win of the weekend over the Rashley / Fletcher combo.

So overall Chris and Dylan won comfortably with 5 bullets from the McEwens in second (with four 2nds).  Your correspondent used his 50 plus years of river and lake sailing experience with his “butter would melt in her mouth”  daughter (thanks to previous class Chairman Chris Feibuch for that quote) to sneak third place from Tim Gratton and Fiona Hampshire on count back as a result of the last race win.

A big thank you Grafham Water SC and particularly to the Saxton race team who turned the races round quicker than son Ben sails his Foiling Nacra 17 !!!

So with young rockstars and old rockers at the front of the fleet the RS800 class is an exciting place to be particularly with the relatively new rule that allows the crew to take the mainsheet.  The next event is the End of Seasons at Queen Mary SC on the 11-12 November when the RS800s will be looking to retain their pursuit race dominance form last year’s event at Rutland.  Don’t forget the big RS party on the Saturday of this event.  The RS800 has a tradition that third place writes the race report.  Your correspondent has now finished third in five of his last seven Magic Marine Grand Prix events and is starting to suffer from repetitive strain injury form all the typing so could someone else please finish third at Queen Mary !!!!!!!

End of Season Championship online entry open here

RS800 2018 Nationals to be held at the RS Games at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy 16-19 August 2018

Report by Ralph Singleton