Results / Magic Marine RS800 Grand Prix Stokes Bay SC - 16/04/2016

Magic Marine RS800 Grand Prix Event at Stokes Bay Sailing Club 16-17 April 2016

A fleet of 25 RS800s assembled at Stokes Bay last weekend for the second Magic Marine Grand Prix event of the season.  Saturday started off slightly chilly, with some of the more adventurous of us reporting driving through snow earlier that morning.

Luke and Emma McEwen were fast out of the blocks in race 1, leading from the start on a very tricky race track.  They were closely followed by Roger Phillips and Will Crocker and Tim Saxton and Fiona Hampshire. The somewhat unpredictable Northerly wind direction caught out Roger and Will on the 2nd beat, and Tim and Fiona just managing to pip Luke and Emma on the penultimate leg.

The wind dropped slightly for race 2, where Luke and Emma came from the far right hand side to again lead round the first mark.  They managed to hold onto their lead this time, whilst the rest of the fleet played snakes and ladders behind them.  Roger and Will sailed into 2nd whilst Tim and Fiona crept up into 3rd.

The final race was more challenging with the wind freshening.  Martin Boatman and Andy Brown fired out of the line towards the left hand side, picking up the gusts into the windward mark.  They were closely followed by Pete Barton and Chris Feibusch with Luke and Emma in 3rd.

Close competition on the water was rounded off by an excellent evening in the bar with the rum happy hour in full swing.  There was even some singing as part of the infamous Dan Vincent Quiz.

Clear skies dawned on Sunday, but with much lighter winds, and the fleet was held ashore until the wind steadied.  The first race was a matter of spotting the breeze first, which paid off for the boats on the left hand side; Andy and Allyson Jeffries, Roger and Will, and Pete and Chris.  However a large wind shift meant that the rest of the race was slightly one dimensional.  Unfortunately a B14, helmed by none other than Nick Craig, took a liking to Pete and Chris, who had a comfortable lead at the time, and they became slightly tangled.  After a quick swim, Pete and Chris recovered to 5th with Roger and Will taking full advantage and sneaking into 1st.

It was Roger and Will who led from the start of race 5, building up a hefty lead by the end.  Martin and Andy lead the charge in the chasing pack, with Luke and Emma keeping their title hopes alive coming home in 3rd.

Going into the last race it was all to play for between Luke and Emma, and Roger and Will.  Luke and Emma were comfortably established in the leading group with Roger and Will far behind, until the penultimate run where a surprising gust carried Tim and Fiona, and Roger and Will down the racetrack into 2nd.  After most of the fleet stalled at the leeward mark, it was the Ralph and Sophie Singleton who managed to retain their lead.  Whilst behind them, Roger and Will overtook Luke and Emma into 2nd in the dying stages, clinching the overall win in the process.

Thanks go to Stokes Bay for incredible hospitality and a great weekend’s sailing.  With Roger and Will taking 2 from 2 in the 2016 Magic Marine Grand Prix series, the next chance to stop them will be at Hayling Island on the 28-29 May.

Report by Fiona Hampshire

Great photos by Tim Olin.  See the full event album here.

Up on Y&Y here.