Fat Face circuit event - Hayling Island

RS 800 Fat Face Circuit Event � 18th - 19th June 2005

Over 40 RS800 gathered at Hayling Island this weekend for some of the most competitive racing we have seen so far this season.

Race one was sailed in the light gradient breeze, with an understanding of the tide playing an important part in the race strategy. David Sayce and Nick Rees mastered the conditions perfectly and led from Justine Deal and Sarah Marriot. Paddy Gamble and Fiona Lockwood demonstrated good pace by managing to hold off RS800 gurus Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel to finish third, with Irish in fourth.

The sea breeze began to kick in in race two, and watching for the wind moving right became key. The Magic Marine team of Irish and Gotrel led into the windward mark and pulled out an impressive lead. Some new comers to the fleet are beginning to make their mark as Peter Barton and Ben Paton, and Matt Gill and Jimbo Hughes fought a very competitive race eventually losing out to the Sola and Harken sponsored Spod and Jane Olive.

With the breeze building James Ross and Heather Back established an early lead in the third race, with Jonathan White and Alex Cruttenden transferring their 29ner skills to the 800 with style to round in second. As the race progressed Spod and Jane Olive worked their way up the fleet from fifth to clinch the race after some tactical games with Ross and Back on the second run. In a desperate move Ross and Back tacked early on the last beat heading left and were faced with a mass of spinnakers, the dirty air dropping them from second to fourth by the end of the race.

Day two dawned with a little more wind than forecast. Race four saw a return to form from Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston, who managed to get the �perfect� start to give them a controlling lead within a few boat lengths. By the windward mark they had pulled out a substantial lead with Barton and Paton and Irish and Gotrel, holding on to second and third respectively. Alistair and Penny Shires fought an impressive race enjoying their first experience in the front of the fleet, finally finishing in sixth.

Race five brought the first general recall of the regatta and with the black flag being used on all starts a number of the front runners were caught out and spent the next hour sunbathing! Gamble and Lockwood took full advantage - heading hard left off the start line, they managed to sneak in front of Andrew Smith and Ash Davison at the windward mark. Spod and Jane Olive pulled back through the top 6 boats and by the final run they were battling with Gamble and Lockwood for the lead. Gamble kept his nerve to take his first win of the season with the Olives in second.

Entering race six the field was wide open with a number of boats competing for the top spots. Haworth and Aston led from the start again, with Irish and Gotrel close behind. Spod and Jane Olive rounded in third but a knot in the spinnaker halyard dropped them out of the top places. Smith and Davidson took full advantage to finish third.

Final results saw Magic Marine�s Irish and Gotrel in first, Harken and Sola�s Olive and Olive in second and Haworth and Aston in third.