Big waves and big breeze at Eastbourne

RS800�s at Eastbourne Sovereign SC on 4/5 June 2005

Lasts year�s event at Eastbourne had been raved about throughout the fleet so this year found a full pack of excited RS800s eager for speed and excitement. Unfortunately the wind has also got a little too exited and curled around Beachy Head with some evil gusts proving too strong for Saturday sailing.

A sacrificial RS200 was sent out to test the conditions which seemed fairly civilised until they turned downwind and hit the first of the gusts. Although RS800 sailors are well accustomed to the carnage of lifting out of the water and pitch poling, it is a very rare occurrence for an RS200. When this happened, the RS800 sailors went back to their tea huddle with mumbles of, �if that�s what it does to a 200�� Wisely, the race officer abandoned for the day and everyone headed off to find the crazy golf course.

By Sunday the wind had abated enough to get everyone on the water and with the forecast due to blow up later in the day, no one was slow to get to the start line.

Race 1 kicked off with a heavily biased port end line. Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel started powerfully and won the pin to lead the race from start to finish, clearly showing that their winning streak was back on track. A number of boats had headed over to the right and in the wind curling around Beachy Head linked into a large wind bend that brought them to the top mark. With that wind came fresh waves causing the despair of a number of crews who trawled their spinnakers and pitch poled while hoisting. Up there, in the middle of the front pack, was Matt Adams and Jamie Goddard, returning to the fleet after a season globe trotting. Unfortunately their luck didn�t hold as the upwind leg proved too much for Jamie who became ill and they headed for home.

Olive/Olive gybed off back towards the shore and managed to close the gap getting up to fifth place creeping and then pulling up to third behind Jeffries/Ody and Irish/Gotrel. Both had over stood the finish which meant that in the freshening wind it was a wave leaping ride to the finish with Irish/Gotrel keeping the lead from Jeffries/Ody, followed closely by Olive/Olive and Ellway/Paterson.

The wind increased significantly in race two and with the right hand side paying again meant that it was dash to that side with Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston measuring the layline perfectly to take the lead. Unfortunately, while trying to gybe back to the shore they hit a huge wave that left Chris cursing while the rest of the fleet screamed past to hoist. Gill/Hughes took the lead with Irish/Gotrel in hot pursuit and Olive/Olive just behind. Again the Olive/Olive team gybed off towards shore to overtake Irish/Gotrel at the bottom mark just behind Gill/Hughes. However, as Gill/Hughes tacked an over cleated main and a big gust pulled them in to leave the front clear for Olive/Olive. They managed to hold that lead until 50metres away from the finish an ill timed gybe caused a pitch pole allowing Jeffries/Ody through to win the regatta with Olive/Olive finally crawling over the line for second place.

And what had happened to Irish/Gotrel? They had hit a huge wave and pitch poled beautifully allowing Justin Deal/Sarah Marriot and two others past.

With the wind increasing and the tide turning, the Race officer sensed the potential damage to the fleet and released them to head ashore where the band of Eastbourne beach teams caught and lifted every boat ashore in the rolling waves.

Once again an exiting blast to clear the cobwebs for the 800 fleet and a great win for Andy Jeffries and Allyson Ody the local experts, who proved that sensible boat handling and cautious sailing can be fast. Olive/Olive finished in second overall, with Irish/Gotrel in third.