RS800s at Chew Valley

Despite a not very inspiring forecast, 21 RS800s travelled to Chew Valley Sailing Club on February 24/25 for the first event of the 2012 Gul Grand Prix. We were rewarded by glorious sunshine and surprisingly good breeze which made it feel more like sailing in May!

After a brief postponement, the first race got away in about 10 knots of wind. Ally Martin and Claire Cumming and Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes and Dan Allin got away from the pin end of the line and lead in the top mark from the left side of the course. They pulled away from the rest of the fleet and kept those positions to the finish, only for Ally and Claire to find out that they were OCS. Dan Kilsby and Bart Bridgen managed to keep Hugh Shone and Hannah Tattersall behind them to the finish 2^nd and 3^rd.

The second race was incredibly close throughout the fleet and at the finish it was Rob Watson and John Clifton who took the win, with Justin and Emma Deal in second, and Ralph Singleton and Megan Fileman using their local knowledge to come third.

The third race followed a similar pattern with the leading boats coming in from the left hand side of the course. Laurie and Dan looked settled in first until they snapped their spinnaker pole on the final gybe. This allowed Francis Peters and Nicola Groves to get by to take their first race win on the Gul Grand Prix circuit, with Laurie and Dan in second place, and Ally and Claire third.

The sun was out again on Sunday but sadly the wind never filled in and the race officer called it a day at lunch time. Many thanks to the race team and all of the members of Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club for putting on a fantastic event.

Laurie and Dan were deserved winners having been consistently quick and in the right place on the course all weekend. Second to seventh place overall were only separated by 2 points which just showed how close the racing was throughout the fleet. The all-girl teams were looking especially rapid after their winter training and no doubt they will become even quicker as the season progresses.

It was great to see some new faces and such a strong turnout so early in the season really bodes well for the fleet in 2012. If you have an 800, dust it off and get down to Grafham in two weeks for the Winter Championships and some more great racing, it is a Garda year after all!