Results / Bloody Mary Pursuit Race Queen Mary SC - 07/01/2012

RS800�s at Datchet 29/30 March A big high over the UK that was actually centred over Datchet Water S.C for the weekend did not deter 18 RS800�s from making the journey, hoping that the passing Aeroplanes on their way into Heathrow would actually provide some chance of racing. No complaints about the rest of the weather though with sun tans all round� in March! An initial glimmer of hope on Saturday, with the wind looking like it was going to fill in for a moment. The race officer however, sensibly postponed as the lake became calm, leaving the 800 sailors sat on the beach. Racing eventually cancelled for the day at 1500 with no steady breeze materialising. Sunday dawned with several people nursing fairly severe hangovers after the celebration of Joe Turnbull�s birthday in the Staines Massive on Saturday night, coupled with the fact the clocks had gone forward and the fact that drinking commenced quite early, it is a miracle that some people got out on the water� I�m sure some wouldn�t have bothered if it was raining, but the sailors were greeted by sunshine and light/patchy 1- 8 knots. Race one was led by Steve Irish and Martin Gotrell, with Chris Hawarth and Stuart Aston in close attendance. The chasing pack included Matt Adams and Mark Rhodes, Neil Ashby and Allan Higgs and Spod Olive sailing with Roz Allen for the weekend and having managed to survive a whole beat without falling through the gap between his further out than normal wings, and the edge of the boat. Gybing earlier rather than later was good on the run and after a shifty next beat and run, Irish/Gotrell took the win with Hawarth/Aston second, Olive/Allen third, and Adams/Rhodes fourth. Race two started with a pile up at the committee boat as the wind went right and dropped a bit leaving people doing 360�s at the committee boat waiting for a gap. At the top mark it was Irish/Gotrell leading from Charlie Coulborn and Nick Bishop, with the usual suspects of Hawarth/Aston, Ashby Higgs and Olive/Allen just behind. Again there was pressure down the middle of the course and after the leaders had gone right down the run, Hawarth/Aston lead again at the leeward mark followed by Ashby/Higgs, Irish/Gotrell, Coulborn/Bishop and James Date and Demo Dave (aka Charlie Merchant) making an appearance. A shifty next beat saw Date/Dave through into the lead proving that increased waterline length and extra momentum can be put to good use on flat water. Down the last run Hawarth/Aston gybed early and overtook Irish/Gotrell and Date/Dave to take the race from Irish then Date in third, with Coulborn/Bishop hanging on to the leaders for fourth. At this point, the wind completely died and racing was abandoned. The remaining boats were given a finish position on a ranking based on the first lap leeward mark position, and allocated the places from fifth onwards. Thanks to the team at Datchet Water who made all the right decisions and made for an enjoyable weekend despite the lack of wind. James Date 1001