Results / Gill European Championships Fraglia vela Riva - 28/07/2014

Photos: Paul Wyeth, http://www.pwpictures.com/

RS800 European Championships – Final Report

Day 1

After all 40 teams from France, Germany and the UK had made their journey down to Lake Garda with varying degrees of success and failure - team Saxton, the boat park was bustling with enthusiasm as the cloud and rain cleared over the weekend to leave the lake sparkling for the Championship opener on Monday afternoon.

The fleet was greeted by a twitchy 12-18 knots as they sailed toward the race area. After half an hour or so while the race officer tweaked the course to suit, the teams limbered up ready to charge for the cliffs. In the bar the previous night it had been discussed that in line with previous events there was any number of boats that could take the title let alone lead the fleet round the race course.

True to form it was Team Jeffries (Andy and Ally) that were first to the cliffs taking a few transoms across the start one to get there. James Date and Toby Wincer won the pin from Pete Barton and Chris Feibusch followed by Dave Hivey and James Barlow. However it was important to get back to the cliffs Date and Wincer spotted their escape route and made their own charge for the cliffs.

Andy and Allyson Jeffries found a route through on port and won the race to the cliffs, stretching the fleet as they lead round the first windward followed by Date/Wincer and Hivey/Barlow. The race was on and the breeze was up as once again the crews charged back in towards the cliffs to find the pressure, this time with the kites up. Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn plus Dave and Louise Steed led the chasing pack battle with Luke and Emma McEwan in close attendance.

As they round the leeward mark the pressure began to drop and it was key to get heads out of boats to search for the breeze. As the breeze started to disappear near the cliffs, the left looked good with more pressure, until the right finally came good at the end, but now it was anyone’s guess where the next pressure or big hole in the breeze would be. Date/Wincer found breeze but also got wrapped up in 6ft of bamboo shoot, despite this they managed to clear their breeze and get on the inside of the wind bend to get round the windward mark inside Andy and Ally. Date/Wincer lead down the run with the breeze dropping to single trapezing conditions and big holes plus changes in pressure starting to make things a bit nervy for the leaders.

Team Jeffries split at the next leeward mark, while Date and Wincer held on towards the cliffs for a bit longer. This proved a gamble too far as the left came good with Andy and Ally extending into the lead followed by Hivey/Barlow, Barton/Feibusch, Dave and Louise, and Luke and Emma. Date/Wincer found a little right hander to sneak back into 3rd by the top mark.  The last run got really funky, with the fleet completely becalmed within touching distance of the finish line. After leading for the majority of the race Andy and Ally got the very raw end of the deal, as it was one of those races that was impossible to lead. Seeing the leaders becalmed, Date/Wincer broke out right toward the middle of the lake and sailed around the stranded pair of Andy and Ally, Hivey/Barlow.  Hivey/Barlow however found the final bit of breeze as it died next to the cliffs to sneak across the finish line and take the bullet, followed home by Date and Wincer, then the McEwans. Dave and Louise pulled out a well earned fourth and Tom Halhead and Stuart Jagger completed the top five.

That was it for the breeze and so the fleet headed to the bar to watch the storms roll in... Dark and stormy!

Day 2

After a night of thunderstorms that trapped many people in the Occa bar until later than originally planned, the RS800's emptied their boats of water and tried to dry sailing kit before heading out for three planned races. Chat in the boat park was of no chance of getting any races in and definitely no Ora. But the race committee were keen to get out there and race in the fading northerly. After two failed attempts to get away and the first appearance of the black flag during this regatta, the fleet got away in a rapidly dying breeze with Tom Halhead and Stuart Jagger leading the fleet to the pretty blue and white flag that awaited us at the windward mark - take two...

Thinking that was it for the day, the majority of the fleet kept pointing at the sailing club. Much to everyone’s surprise, the wind swung 180 degrees and came in at upwards of 20 knots. After much hanging around and waiting for the course to be completely reset, no small challenge in a lake that is 400m deep, we got away at the first attempt after the race officer started proceedings with the naughty flag.

By the time the race started the wind was starting to drop, but the fleet headed up the first beat in 15 knots with the committee boat initially being the favoured end, but a 40 degree shift soon put an end to that with Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn leading out the cliffs on the left. In close contention were Joel Walker and Sarah Crosman who rounded second followed by Dave and Louise Steed, Andy and Allyson Jeffries, and Luke and Emma McEwen.

With the wind continuing to track left, the race became a bit of a one dimensional affair, but with some shifts and changes in pressure still to be taken advantage of. James Date and Toby Wincer found some channels down the run to put themselves amongst the leaders, working their way into 3rd by the next top mark. Saxton/Littlejohn were by this point on the horizon in a rapidly dying breeze with crews in the playpen at the front, with team Steed in hot pursuit, Date/Wincer chased closed the gap to Dave and Louise on the run before a nip and tuck beat to the shortened course at the next windward mark. Saxton and Littlejohn took the bullet with Dave and Louise taking an excellent second, followed by Date/Wincer. Walker/Crossman held on to take 4th, with Luke and Emma completing the top 5.

With the wind now at virtually zero, the fleet were pleased to see AP over H flying and permission to proceed to the bar and after racing pasta. Three more races planned tomorrow with the event now truly in catch up mode, more thunderstorms forecast tomorrow, but things looking more hopeful for Thursday and Friday.

Day 3

The fleet launched early on Wednesday to take advantage of the gradient breeze forecast for the morning. It was certainly not the sunny Ora that we had come to Garda to see, but the Northerly breeze did not disappoint (for a while).

Race three started in 13-15knots, in pouring rain with a pin end bias, which Jeffries / Jeffries used to their advantage, port tacking the fleet. Most of the contenders bar Hivey / Barlow were at this end and worked their way up the left by the cliffs. Hivey / Barlow started at the boat and tacked to get the greater pressure on the right of the course. The fleet were split, but in the end it was the right hand side that paid and Hivey / Barlow had a sizeable lead at the windward mark. The racing behind was extremely close as usual, with places changing regularly. On the third lap Date and Wincer extended from the bunch, played some blinding shifts up the difficult last beat and caught right up to Hivey / Barlow who were ruing going round the wrong leeward mark. A tight gybing battle down the last run saw Date / Wincer take the race win. Third was Barton / Feibusch who also sailed a blinding last lap.

The breeze built for race four with the same dilemma facing the fleet: go for the shift by the cliff or the greater breeze on the right? It was tight at the top mark until Hivey / Barlow managed to gybe into a gust large enough to build a healthy lead over the next three laps and in the process surprise the race officer, who initially didn't think they were coming in to finish! Behind a bunch of five boats were continually changing positions in the gusty and very shifty conditions. At the finish Barton / Feibusch again illustrated their savvy tactics to take second place with Date / Wincer placing third.

Race five started in the same Northerly breeze but it was starting to moderate. Again the battle between the shift and the breeze was the decision for all bar Saxton / Littejohn who shot off the line like a bullet to take a healthy lead at the first mark. Unfortunately on the last beat the wind flipped 180 degrees and the race was abandoned with only a few minutes to go to the finish.

With the new (and much warmer) southerly breeze established we started race five again in just under 15 knots. All the usual suspects were at the front again apart from Date / Wincer who unfortunately found a hole in the breeze by the cliffs. A tight race saw the places changing constantly with all the boats were trying to avoid the large holes in the wind and stay in phase with the 25 degree shifts. Down the last run it was Saxton / Littlejohn and Boatman / Brown who unfortunately managed to find holes and lost their top three positions. Halhead / Jagger sailed the perfect run, staying in the pressure to take the bullet. It was a photo finish on the line between Hivey / Barlow and Date / Wincer finishing in that order. A great comeback for Date / Wincer again.

Wednesday night saw the Aussie themed social at the Riva bar.  It may not be the latest of nights however as we are starting at 11am again in the morning, with a 0945 launch to the starting line.

Day 4

As everyone reached the committee boat, the Ora (the Southerly thermal wind) came in and soon built to 13-15 knots, almost as if it was planned! We finally had the weather Garda is so famous for, sun and wind!

Off the first start the fleet headed inshore on the left towards the cliffs on the Torbole side of the lake. All except Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn who made their intentions clear, and took a risk by heading for the cliffs on the far right of the beat.

As the two sides came back together at the windward mark, Tim and Sam had a slight lead ahead of Dave and Lou Steed, James Date and Toby Wincer.

Saxton/Littlejohn held their lead to the finish, whilst Date/Wincer and Pete Barton and Chris Feibusch had an intense battle down the final run with Date/Wincer eventually sneaking second place meters from the finish line. The Steed's and Dave Hivey and James Barlow rounded out the top 5.

The second race began in a similar fashion to the end of the first with the fleet racing towards the cliffs on the hard right of the beat, with gusts pushing towards 20 kts. After clear starts Saxton/Littlejohn and Date/Wincer rounded the first mark in that order and extended to the finish. Barton/Feibusch and the Steed's again took third and fourth respectively with James Green and James Trewick showing great pace to round out the top five.

A small left shift before the final start of the day meant that the boats starting towards the pin, and crossing early on port had the advantage. Hivey/Barlow made the most of this to lead round the windward followed by Andy and Allyson Jeffries and Luke and Emma McEwen. However, Saxton/Littlejohn sailed a great run and second beat to lead round the next windward after Hivey/Barlow tacked just under the starboard lay-line and had to do an extra two tacks.

Saxton/Littlejohn again held out to the finish to round off an excellent day, followed by the Jeffries', Hivey/Barlow, Date/Wincer after a strong recovery and Barton/Feibusch.

The final race of the day brought in the second discard closing up the points at the top with Saxton/Littlejohn one point clear of Date/Wincer, themselves one ahead of Hivey/Barlow.

With two more races to finish the regatta tomorrow it will be a great finish, with Date/Wincer in a strong position with two fourths as discards and Barton/Feibusch able to challenge for the podium with a good day. Let’s hope for the same sun and wind as today!

Day 5

The final day of competition was all set up for a grandstand finish, with the northerly dying off early and scorching hot temperatures, the signs were good for a big Ora day to finish off the week.

The first race of the day was led from the off by Andy and Allyson Jeffries with a trademark through the fleet on port start to lead the race to the cliffs in a building 18 knots of breeze.  In second and revelling in the conditions were Pete Barton and Chris Feibusch.  Also in the mix were the podium contenders with Dave Hivey and James Barlow leading Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn, with James Date and Toby Wincer in hot pursuit.

Date/Wincer managed to get involved down the run with a nicely timed gybe on Saxton/Littlejohn at the leeward gates nearly sending them swimming and pushing them back a few places.  Whilst Andy and Allyson and Barton Feibusch extended at the front, Date/Wincer set about chasing down Hivey/Barlow.  Despite catching to within a couple of boat lengths at the finish, the race finished in that order, with Saxton/Littlejohn recovering well to come in fifth.

And that set up a truly scintillating finale, Saxton/Littlejohn, Date/Wincer and Hivey/Barlow all tied on points, with a couple of nasty discards hanging over the heads of two of the boats, it was all to play for, but any resurrection of university team racing skills was out of the question.  It was a final race showdown to decide the title!

To add to the occasion, the Ora decided to ramp up a few knots to be pushing and perhaps exceeding 30 knots at times.  This was going to be a war of attrition, and what a way to finish the regatta.

And there is only one word to describe this final race.  Epic!  With nothing worse than a 4th on their scorecard, Date/Wincer went for a more high risk approach starting on port through the fleet.  This went badly and resulted in swimming.  Perfectly executed starts from Saxton/Littlejohn and Hivey/Barlow saw them first and second around the top mark.  Barton/Feibusch were in the mix as usual, with Martin Boatman and Andrew Brown and James Green and Jamie Trewick also enjoying the conditions and putting in their best showing of the week.

And that was surely it, a straight out battle for the victory at the front between Saxton/Littlejohn and Hivey/Barlow with Date/Wincer spectating from the side lines praying to the Ora god that both of them ended up worse than 4th.  This wouldn’t have been exciting enough for the script so Hivey/Barlow duly obliged by falling in the water on their gybe set.  Date/Wincer powered past in full catch up mode before binning it spectacularly at the gybe at the cliffs.  Saxton/Littlejohn merely had to hold it together for the victory, but that would have also been too simple, so a quick trawl of the kite and a swim at the next windward really threw everything up in the air again.  Boatman/Brown were now out in front followed by Barton/Feibusch and Green/Trewick with Hugh Watson and Andy Watkins having a great race, and Luke and Emma McEwan also keeping it upright and fast.

Lap two and it was looking good for Date/Wincer with Hivey/Barlow in 6th and Saxton/Littlejohn in 7th, a result that would have seen the European title retained.  With the breeze really ramping up and the carnage increasing, it would all go down to the last run.  Boatman/Brown swam at the windward mark leaving Barton/Feibusch to power away to a great victory, continuing their habit of winning the last race of every regatta they do.  Saxton/Littlejohn had a fantastic last beat and run to move through into second.  Green/Trewick took a superb 3rd showing they are really getting to grips with the 800 and finishing the event on a high.  Hivey/Barlow took 2 boats down the last run to move into 4th, just passing the McEwans within sight of the finish line.

So, Saxton/Littlejohn very deservedly crowned European Champions by 2 points having sailed a superb week, with Hivey/Barlow doing the enough on the last run to pip Date/Wincer on count back to complete the podium.

Another classic RS800 regatta with 6 different race winners and a final race showdown of truly epic proportions, there cannot be a better class to be racing in at the moment.  The chat in the Occa bar on Friday night after a great prize giving hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva was all of the Nationals in a few weeks’ time, and yet again, we have no idea how that story will unfold.

The fleet would like to thank all involved in putting together another great trip to Riva, which despite its best efforts the weather did not manage to dampen, and we can’t wait to go back in 2 years’ time.

Toby Wincer, James Date, Dave Hivey

FINAL RESULTS BELOW