Results / RS Fat Face Eurocup, France Carnac - 19/04/2003

Carnac is a stunning place to sail. A golden beach with a continual back drop of huge yachts prancing around on the sky line (the French equivalent of Cowes week). Chips Howarth & Al Hall sailing the RWO boat, completely dominated the event fresh back from the Fireball worlds he showed his professional approach throughout the regatta. I didn't even see him in the bar, as opposed to the Date brothers in the Seasure team who seemed to be stuck to Chip's stern with an alcohol only diet. Day 1 A perfect force 4 meet the fleet and kicked the event off with flat water and gusty conditions, the 800s were revelling up and down wind. Both races proved very similar with the first three boats recording the same results. Chips & Al lead from the first Mark with Matt Adams & Corky close on their heels showing a good turn of speed with their new fixed uppers. Unfortunately for them RWO always managed to stay ahead, even though yards from the finish line they sailed into a hole and could only watch as the Adam and Corky's bow smacked towards them. Luckily, the wind filled in and they took the bullet , Adam & Corky 2nd and the Date brother 3rd. One obvious shore side team who missed the day's racing were the Sola boys, Spod Olive and Mike Warren who managed to break their new mast on the way down to the start. Despite a dash ashore and a replacement mast they could only watch the second start as they launched. No toys in the pram for them. Day 2 Once again the Yachts were there on the skyline, forcing the question did they really go to bed? Clearly, looking at the eyes of some of the competitors some of them had enjoyed the delights of the Square bar far too much the night before. The wind look promising but as we launched it started to swing but without the music and this became the theme for the day. Race 3 started with a huge shift to the right making the course a close beat on starboard following by a procession to the leeward mark. After a couple of rounds they finished with the RWO boat leading, followed by Charlie Coulborn and Nick Bishop, new to the class, with Matt & Corky just behind. Races 4 & 5 By now the wind had dropped and the ensuing racing became light, with the tide kicking in, later in the day just to add to the fun. At last in race 4 we saw the Date brothers take the bullet with Neil Harrison and Richard Burlingham bursting through to second place in front of Chips & Al. However this blip in the results was quickly rectified with the RWO taking the final bullet of the day with Paul Bartlett and Stuart Woodger 2nd with the Date brothers and the Seasure boat 3rd. Day 3 races 6 & 7 Once again the breeze had kicked in and the wind bend favouring the right side of the course, RWO took the lead and stayed there. By now the rest of us were having our own race, working the boats through the choppy conditions. Matt & Corky found their legs again and finished 2nd with the Dates behind. The last race of the regatta saw RWO going in for a well deserved break. Once again the right seemed to be paying with the wind swinging to the right. Taking the knock early on and then being lifted up to the mark paid every time. The first three boats of the Dates, Paul & Stuart and the Sola team battled it out around the course but on the last leg, tacking on the lay line, The Sola boys found their speed and just crept in front of Paul and Stuart to take second behind the dates. An excellent race to finish the regatta. One other notable performance was Mark Ponsford & Nick Farter (I'm sure we can dream up the insults for this man) who were sailing without fixed uppers and new to the class, finished 4th in most races showing that here was another team to be reckoned with. But the boat of the match was RWO with their 5 bullets in 7 races, showing that if you want to soar with the eagles, don't get ****ed the night before with the Turkeys. But it was a great bar.