Results / Helensburgh Open Helensburgh SC - 19/06/2010

RS200 Scottish Series – Helensburgh Sailing Club

Helensburgh hosted the 4^th event in the RS200 Scottish Series sponsored by JD Watersports.

The weekend provided perfect sunbathing weather with not a cloud in view the whole time, but particularly tough racing conditions with light winds, wind collapses creating no wind zones on the course, and persistent 90 degree or more windshifts. In addition a swarm of Lasers – more numerous than even the infamous West Coast midges – were scattered over the race course and seemed to enjoy congregating in their thousands at every mark. The first four races were one lap affairs, with a leeward gate and an upwind finish, and two laps were completed in the better winds of races 5 and 6.

Race one started in a 6 knot breeze that collapsed as the fleet sailed into the first Laser swarm halfway up the beat. Ronnie and Tor Millar managed to outdrift Robbie Burns and Vicki Simpson to the windward mark. As the wind filled in downwind the Millars rounded first at the leeward gate and sailed upwind to the finish line, followed by Burns and Paul Rigg and Fiona Hall in 3^rd.

Race 2 started in about 4 knots of breeze which lasted until the windward mark when the 200 fleet arrived at the same time as 10,000 Lasers. In the ensuing melee the Millars took penalty turns for swatting a Laser out the way, and the fleet split in two down the run. The first few boats on the right side of the course picked up new breeze and a 120 degree windshift. Martin and Suzanne Faulkner spotted it first and sailed off to the leeward gate and up to the finish, followed by Rigg and Graham and Vicki Tait in 3^rd. The bulk of the fleet sailed in 10 minutes later as the new breeze never quite reached them.

Race 3 started in a more promising 8 knot breeze, but this again collapsed halfway up the first beat as the fleet was attacked by swarming Lasers. The Millars again showed good drifting speed and led from Burns at the windward mark. Millar led half the fleet to the left down wind, Burns and the other half went right. The wind collapsed as Millar and Burns approached the leeward gate, Burns just got the overlap, and as they drifted round the mark the wind shifted 90 degrees right for 30 seconds, allowing Burns to sail over Millar. As the wind collapsed again the Millars bravely fought off some vicious Lasers, whilst Burns sailed off to a new wind band, with a 120 degree shift to the left. Burns won easily as the only boat with breeze whilst the fleet wallowed in no wind and swarming Lasers, with Rigg emerging from the carnage to take 2^nd and the Millars 3^rd.

The fleet fought its way home and for a quick internet search to see if Laser repellent was as readily available as midge repellent.

Race 4 started in 6 knots, and the Millars led from Burns at the windward mark. Millar went left, Burns right, and repeating the pattern of Saturday the wind collapsed and shifted 90 degrees as the leeward gate was approached. Burns arrived first at the right gate mark along with 10,000 Lasers, followed by Rigg and Emily and Sarah Robertson, whilst Millar went round the Laser-free left mark having been sorely bitten by his encounters with the Lasers the day before. Whilst Burns fought his way through 100,000 Lasers Millar picked up a clear lane of new breeze and sailed to the line for the first, whilst the Robertsons proved the best at dodging the 1 million Lasers at the leeward gate and took an excellent 2^nd, with Rigg coming in 3^rd. Burns requested more Laser repellent.

Race 5 and the wind had swung to the North, increased to 10 knots, with gusts, and blown away the Laser swarms leaving the 200s to a race on their own. The Taits and Burns led the fleet round the windward mark, but Millar took a gybe set and headed for the right side downwind, where there was more breeze, less tide, but little water. Millar arrived first at the leeward gate after gybing his way downwind in the narrow breeze band with only a slightly nibbled centreboard. Burns was second at the leeward gate but passed Millar by going further right up the beat, and held his lead downwind and up to the finish. Millar took 2^nd with Rigg 3^rd.

Going into Race 6 Millar led by 1 point from Burns and 3 from Rigg. No-one seemed interested in winning the final race as Rigg got stuck mid-fleet off the line, Millar crashed out behind the fleet, and Burns was admiring the Helensburgh shoreline in the afternoon sunshine. The author (Millar) has no idea what happened at the windward mark as he was still mid-fleet, but Millar did a gybe set at the windward mark again and led by the leeward gate. Burns was now in chase mode and by half way up the next beat was in second chasing Millar. Millar appeared to have the win sown up as they headed downwind, but the wind had one last Joker to play. With Millar 6 boat lengths from the leeward gate the wind collapsed. Burns closed fast till he too hit the hole. Millar drifted round the right gate mark with Burns now only 6 boat lengths behind. Millar picked up some breeze on the right side and sailed out of the hole, but the wind collapsed again then swung 120 degrees to the left. The pursuing fleet, led by Rigg moved towards this, rounded the left gate mark and avoided the worst of the hole. Millar and Burns desperately worked their way towards the left side of the course and the finish line as the fleet closed in. Millar held on for the 1^st and the overall win, with Rigg pipping Burns on the line for 2^nd – but this still gave Burns 2^nd overall, with Rigg 3^rd.

The next event is at Chanonry on the East Coast – sea breezes, no midges, no Lasers and dolphin pods to keep the crews amused between races – it’s great, come and try it out.