The final and windiest RS800 Gul Grand Prix event of the year was hosted by Stokes bay sailing club on the 17^th and 18^th September.23 boats turned up for the event and launched on the Saturday morning after some hesitation into the rough and bumpy Solent.

Race 1 got under way with a building breeze and sea state. Deal and Page lead the race from start finish with some minor hoisting issues and opting to finish the last run under no spinnaker in the 30knot breeze. Position changes behind were frequent with numerous capsizes and attempts to complete the downwind leg under spinnaker. Gibbs and Palfreman picked up a second whilst Jeffries and Ody finished in third after a rather hairy final downwind leg under all three sails!

The breeze was now steady at around 28knots and the race officer decided to send the fleets ashore. The racing was subsequently abandoned for the day and competitors headed for a mixture of windsurfing, kite surfing and bar action!

Saturday night proved to be an epic party with sponsored £1 a shot mount gay rum and coke  that was followed by some spirited sumo wrestling. Chris Martin (Usual 800 crew and helming a 200 this weekend) was the obvious winner, showing even the organiser a thing or two about how to win a wrestling match….

Everyone arrived back at stokes the morning after nursing a few hangovers and to be greeted with similar breeze to the day before. The decision was made to send the 200’s and 100’s out racing first with the 8’s waiting until after lunch.

Three races were then held in the lumpy and breezy conditions. Date and Wincer managed a bullet followed by two seconds which was enough to take the event. Jeffries and Ody discarded race 2 and then posted a 1^st and 3^rd which was enough for second. Deal and Page ended up third overall after winning the last race but subsequently being disqualified as OCS.

Thanks to Stokes bay for a great weekends windy racing and Saturday night social. The next event for the 800’s will be the Inland championships on the 22^nd and 23^rd October.