Results / Open Penarth YC - 15/07/2012

GUL RS RACING CIRCUIT AT ROYAL TORBAY YC AND PAIGNTON SC- JUNE 16/17. The GUL RS Racing Circuit hit Torbay in a big way on June 16/17 with three courses spread across the bay. The RS200's and 600's launched from Paignton Beach with Paignton SC running their course. The RS300's, 400's and 800's launched off Torre Abbey Sands in Torquay and the Royal Torbay YC managed their two courses. With the sunshine and fresh breezes of Sunday the boats were a spectacular sight downwind from the shore with multi coloured spinnakers everywhere in the bay. The weather was some of the most varied imaginable. As the fleets rigged on Saturday morning there was a steady moderate breeze from the NW. As the fleets launched this wind started to drop and it soon became apparent that something big was brewing to the south of Brixham. As thunder started to rumble under very large, very nasty and very wet looking black clouds, the fleets prepared for a huge downpour. Luckily the clouds took one look at Paignton and rumbled off out to sea causing mayhem with the wind in the process. Poor Race Officers Ken Falcon, John Haslam and Peter Rumbelow then spent over an hour moving the windward marks round every compass point as the wind went NE, SE, then S quickly followed by SW before going back to W to NW. Eventually the wind settled down around a mean direction of NW around a force 3-4. There were though some big slants and patchs in the wind, which gave some snakes and ladders racing. The Race Officers though did very well to fit in three good races despite not being able to start until 15.00. The fleets, although not happy at sitting around, knew full well there was nothing the Race Officers could have done to start racing earlier. Sunday was a lot kinder, the wind stayed in the NW all day, built slowly so that full on racing took place in force 4-5 under generally blue skies and plenty of sunshine. It was a blistering good day and many very tired but happy bunnies left after prize giving's at 16.00. You knew it had been a good weekend; there was many a good word for the race management teams. GUL RS800 RACING CIRCUIT - ROYAL TORBAY YC, JUNE 16/17 27 RS800's had a very eventful GUL RS Racing Circuit event at Torquay on June 16/17 featuring some amazing downwind action, particularly on Sunday. Along with all the other RS fleets the 800's suffered a couple of hours of frustration on Saturday afternoon as thunderstorms played havoc with the wind. Eventually the wind did settle and race 1 saw Steve Irish and Ricky Tagg hold strong first and seconds. Unfortunately the Race Committee were having a nightmare with the Committee Boat dragging anchor and tried to shorten course. The leaders took this to mean they would finish next time downwind at the gate but confusion reigned as some leading boats were finished upwind at the gate. Everything ran smoothly for Race 2 and Lee Sydenham/Anne Vaudrey just led at the first mark. They extended this lead on the next run and then benefited from their own major patch of breeze on the second run to open up a massive victory margin. Buzz Keck/Demo Dave scored a very useful second with Ricky Tagg pulling through to third. Ashore the Protest Committee was kept busy by several requests for redress in race 1; their decision was to throw the whole race out. Ricky Tagg who had been the leader then also seeked redress but this could not be heard until Sunday afternoon. Sunday was a major day for the 800's with a gusty force 4-5 and sunshine. Race 3 was easily the most competitive race of the weekend with constant place changing. Andy and Lisa Postle from Plymouth led for a lap, went down the middle of the second run and watched boats blast by on either wing in big gusts. One to ten went round the final leeward mark nose to tail and it was anyone's race. Tim and Jo Johnson got the approach to the finish right and won from Steve Irish/Martin Gotrel and the Larkin's. Race 4 was almost pedestrian in comparison with Mike Lennon/Craig Davies and Dave/Fiona Sayce first and second almost the whole race. Tagg and Sydenham had never been too far behind and Tagg just managed to pip the Sayces on the finish line for second. It was very open going into the final race with many possible winners. The Doe brothers led at mark one with Sydenham second. A capsize by the Doe brothers at a windward mark gave Sydenham the lead whish he carefully protected. The Doe recovered very quickly and held onto second with Tagg pulling through to third. With Tagg's request for redress not being upheld Sydenham and Vaudrey won their first GUL RS Racing Circuit event in an RS800's after being so dominant on the RS200 Circuit. The top of the GUL RS800 Racing Circuit is now amazingly tight with Sydenham/Vaudrey, Irish/Gotrel and the Johnsons all on 13 pts counting 3 out of 4 events. The pressure is on many of the other leading helms as they will have to count at least two, and in many cases three, of the remaining three Racing Circuit events to have any hope of catching this trio. Battle will be joined at the next GUL RS Racing Circuit event at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy in a fortnight; don't miss it. Pete Vincent 935 Lee Sydenham Anne Vaudrey Hayling Island SC 6 1 932 Brian Ricky Tagg I'm not Ricky's brother Rickmansworth SC 8 2 874 Mad 4 It Tim Johnson Jo Johnson Chew Valley CSC 11 3 898 HSBC Stuart Doe Chris Doe Thorney Island SC 13 4 922 Steve Irish Martin Gotrel Draycote Water Sailing Club 17 5 835 David Sayce Fiona Sayce Hayling Island SC 17 6 908 Way Out Mike Way Anne Way Mayflower SC 17 7 927 Michael Lennon Craig Davies Hayling Island SC 22 8 821 Matt Larkin Geoff Larkin Weirwood SC 22 9 890 Mad for Sailing.com Buzz Keck Charlie "demo Dave" Merchant Lads Dating Club 23 10