RS800s at Garda - Report

See full results under results! Here's the report .... �Down to the knots and Send it!� Nothing could be certain in this regatta until the fat lady had sung. And in Italy they do not come any fatter, louder or later. Not one of the 46 boats knew who had won until they read the results out at the prize giving. One thing was for sure; it was an awesome event with 5 continuous days of the �Garda Doctor� supplying good breezes in the afternoons, the Fraglia Della Vela race team being right on the button every time, and the knowledge that the RS800 is perhaps the ultimate boat for Garda. I won�t bore you with the tactical details; in virtually every race it was a mad dash for the cliff, get through the tack in 25 knots of breeze, a fetch into the mark, a two sail gybe and hoist at the windward mark and hair raising ride back into the wall of death. Beating 200s and 400s provided the slalom course downwind, a �heart in mouth� gybe, then the starboard tack in wondering whether you are going to make the leeward mark or if you are to be blown down into oblivion. Garda is about boatspeed, handling and pushing it to the limit. Leave the brain at home. Day 1 � the �Ora� kicks in true Garda style � a good but not a �big� day. Two excellent races give the two main contenders a race win each. Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel get the first and Lee Sydenham and Adam Brushett (Taylor Made Computer Solutions) claim the second win. Ex 505 new comer Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston get a notable 2nd in race one. Ricky Tagg and Rob Andrew prove that you can get a 3rd and a 4th without your fags going out. Day 2 � Another great �Ora� day � in perhaps the best breezes of the week Lee and Adam show the fleet home in both races. Richard Lovering and Brian State (Hydes Sails) now realise perhaps there are better places to sail other than Hayling with a 2nd and 4th. Niki Griffin persuades her helm, Mike Lennon, to get more aggressive on the starts after day 1 and manages a 3rd and a 2nd. The ride in from the course area will not be forgotten in a hurry � a roller coaster through the wind surfers with wave jumping to boot. God we slept well that night. Day 3 � Thunderstorms forecast for today. Could this be the end of the wind? No of course not! The Garda Doctor gets his magic stick out and gives us a good race. Richard and Brian draw the short straw and win. But what�s this? Spod Olive and Mike Warren get a 2nd? Mike must have made a superhuman effort to drag the tired old man round the course. At least the old geezer did not put him in the drink this time. Race 2 goes Mickey Mouse in the best Disney traditions. One lap and boats are flying kites upwind � much deck thumping and the team send us home to chips and beer. The thunderstorm finally arrives on the way in. Tell me � do carbon masts conduct electricity? Day 4 � the race team are looking despondent about the wind. But the competitors are completely chilled by now and know that it is going to happen. Which it does. Another great race with Geoff Carveth and Craig Davies doing the business in their matching Fat Face gear. Everything but the hats that is. Steve Irish helps himself to another 2nd. The fleet can hear the thunderstorms rumbling in the next valley and the wind disappears. Home James for another �face slappingly� good session at the Oca bar. Final Day � Lee Sydenham and Steve Irish are tying for first place with all to play for. Poor Steve is unable to take part in Race One due to it being rescheduled and him carrying a black flag penalty against it. He and Chris Haworth have to sit it out and let Richard Lovering carry the flag home with Spod Olive being arrogant in 2nd. Chris then takes his angry eyes off and blasts into the distance to win the 2nd Race with Steve only managing 17th. James Date and Mark Hogan keep it upright all the way round to achieve a 2nd. Race 3 belonged to Ricky and Rob with Mike and Nicky in 2nd. Steve Irish points the boat the right way and gets a 3rd. Lee Sydenham looked genuinely astonished when it was announced that he had won. He tied on points with Steve Irish but Lee�s 3 first places decided the issue. The final placings were as below: 1st Lee Sydenham and Adam Brushett - GBR1010 2nd Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel � GBR922 3rd Richard Lovering and Brian State � GBR1004 4th Ricky Tagg and Rob Andrew � GBR932 5th Mike Lennon and Nicky Griffin � GBR1007