Results / Gul RS800 Inland Championships Grafham Water S C - 02/10/2004
The RS Inlands at Grafham. Light winds? No chance. As usual the RS
classes arrived at Grafham to the now familiar sight of looking downwind
from the security of the clubhouse and a cup of tea, watching the white
water whipping off the surface. What was it going to look like when you
reached the starting area and looked back up wind? 40 800�s shared the
event with the 700�s and the 400�s with two race courses to accommodate
us all.
Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston launched themselves into the lead of race
one and weren�t challenged as most people decided they needed to check
the undersides of their boat to make sure they weren�t too dirty after
the drive up. Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel recovered well from some
leeward mark swimming to take 2nd ahead of Ben McGrane and Jonathan
Clegg. James Date and Nick �this is my first time in an 800, and it�s
blowing 30 knots� Lowe got round in 4th after some capsize practice and a
very steep learning curve.
Race two saw a slightly diminished fleet, after a couple of broken masts
and it was just too much for some. The sight of 400�s pitch poling on
the other course was a good gauge of how windy it was, I can only imagine
what the 700/800 course looked like from where they were. Irish/Gotrel
led the race from start to finish with Date/Lowe holding off
McGrane/Clegg for 2nd and 3rd. Haworth/Aston came in 4th.
There were only 14 boats left racing by the end of race 3, but the racing
at the front was as close as ever, Irish/Gotrel led round the first mark,
closely followed by Haworth/Aston and Date/Lowe who�s bow never came back
to the surface after the bear away and Lowe experienced his debut trip
round the forestay, leaving McGrane/Clegg to cruise off into 3rd. As the
wind swung a long way to the right turning the race into a reach-reach
affair, making for some exciting attempts to hold the kites down the
slightly broader one, Irish/Gotrel held on to win from Haworth/Aston with
McGrane/Clegg completing their run of 3rds for the day. Date/Lowe
capitalised on watching the leaders being blown into oblivion as the wind
swung further right and 2 sailed down the penultimate lap to get back to
4th.
In truly efficient Grafham style we were all off the water, packed up and
in the bar by 4 o�clock, a dangerous prospect with talk of more wind the
next day, it only took a few beers before such phrases as �we aren�t
going sailing tomorrow, let�s get lashed!� were heard around the club.
After the mandatory visit to the Wheatsheaf, the fleets returned for
disco and cheap booze at the club and were further entertained by Dave
Sheils �stag do�, he didn�t know it was his stag do, but seemed to have
avoided one so thanks to his mates in the 400 fleet, enter WPC 69, baby
oil, handcuffs and a banana. Enough said.
Day two dawned and much to the horror of those still drunk from the night
before, mentioning no-one in particular (Tim Boon), a gentle 5 knot
breeze blew across the pond. Fortunately this increased throughout the
day with twin wiring again by the final race. Haworth/Aston got
themselves miles in the lead of the first race and stayed there. The
battle for 2nd was a close one with Date/Lowe eventually getting the
better of Irish/Gotrel by half a boat length. Justin Deal and Sarah
Marriot were leading the chasing pack and came in 4th.
Deal/Marriot found the slightly lighter breeze to their liking and showed
good pace and pond sailing skills to find themselves in the lead of race
2 of the day but couldn�t hold off an on form Irish/Gotrel who went on to
take the bullet. Date/Lowe couldn�t get past Deal/Marriot and settled
for 3rd ahead of Alex Davies and Sarah Hughes.
The final race and Irish/Gotrel had it sewn up already but went on to
take another bullet anyway, Steve obviously not happy with that 3rd
tarnishing his near perfect scorecard from the first race of the day!
Haworth/Aston got 2nd in the last to guarantee 2nd overall. Dom Johnson
and Jenny Heeley sailed very well to take 3rd in the last race and we
will no doubt be seeing more regular appearances at the front from them.
Deal/Marriot completed a good day with a 4th that pulled them up to 4th
overall.
Thanks go to Grafham Water S.C. for another superbly organised and
smoothly run event, I believe the rescue crews did an awesome job and,
were probably glad of a bit of a rest on Sunday after Saturday�s
conditions. Next stop for all the RS classes is the pursuit race and end
of year prize giving at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy. One
pursuit race a day and a big party on Saturday night, it�s a recipe for a
top weekend!
James Date 1080
|
Series Place | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | Series Points | Race1 | Race2 | Race3 | Race4 | Race5 | Race6 |
1 | 1058 | Steve Irish | Martin Gotrel | Draycote | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
2 | 1064X | C Maworth | S Aston | BCYC | 10 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
3 | 1080 | James Date | Nick Lowe | Port Dinorwic SC | 15 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
4 | 1054 | Justin Deal | Sarah Marriott | � | 22 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
5 | 1044 | Ben McGrane | Jonathan Clegg | WPSA | 25 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 11 |
6 | 1057 | Spod Olive | J Norris | Stokes Bay | 32 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
7 | 961 | Phil King | Ian Roberson | Farmoor | 56 | 12 | 11 | 40 | 8 | 18 | 7 |
8 | 989 | Ben Schooling | Tim Hirst | Datchet Water SC | 59 | 5 | 40 | 7 | 19 | 14 | 14 |
9 | 991 | Malcome Street | Miles Roebuck | HISC | 71 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 40 | 19 | 20 |
10 | 890 | Richard Keeton | Helen Rumbold | Royal Lymington YC | 73 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 15 |
11 | 1074 | Joe Llewellyn | Caroline Ellis | Royal Torbay YC | 76 | 40 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 25 |
12 | 864 | Adrian Coatsworth | Julia Jenkins | Southwold SC | 78 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
13 | 1016 | Mark Longstaff | Marcus Fleming | GWSC | 82 | 40 | 6 | 40 | 10 | 10 | 16 |
14 | 983 | Tim Boon | Rich Evans | FFSC | 90 | 40 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 40 | 19 |
15 | 839 | Alex Davies | Sarah Hughes | Draycote | 98 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
16 | 1011 | James Ross | Gareth Russell | Hamble River | 99 | 40 | 15 | 12 | 23 | 25 | 24 |
17 | 932 | Dom Johnson | Jenny Heeley | Datchet SC | 103 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 9 | 11 | 3 |
18 | 964 | Ian Martin | Chris Martin | Datchet Water SC | 106 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 14 | 6 | 6 |
19 | 985 | David Sayle | Fiona Sayle | HISC | 113 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 5 | 16 | 12 |
20 | 916 | Babs Emmans | Roland Emmans | Weston SC | 120 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
21 | 881 | Andrew Cornuh | Orwin Murray | Wessex SC | 122 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 15 | 9 | 18 |
22 | 903 | Mick Whitmore | Sarah Smith | Eastbourne Sovereign SC | 123 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 13 | 10 |
23 | 892 | David Pike | N Jenkins | Eastbourne Sovereign SC | 131 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 26 | 12 | 13 |
24 | 926 | Alastair Shires | Penny Shires | Stokes Bay | 138 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 16 | 21 | 21 |
25 | 1084 | Matt Critchley | Ryan Crawford | Stokes Bay | 142 | 14 | 8 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
26 | 836 | Derek Buchanan | Elaine Buchannan | Oxford | 146 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 22 | 27 | 17 |
27 | 883 | Kate Gillow | Andy Griffith | Draycote | 147 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 21 | 23 | 23 |
28 | 1010 | Ollie Page | Jonno | Lancing | 157 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 17 | 20 | 40 |
29 | 1072 | Jon McGuire | Louisa McGuire | Stokes Bay | 160 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
30 | 909 | Alex Taylor | Rich Anderton | South Caernarvonshire YC | 168 | 8 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
31 | 940 | David Goudie | Laurence Riches | GWSC | 168 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 24 | 24 | 40 |
32 | 1066 | Matthew Amiss | Becky Gardner | Weston | 170 | 40 | 10 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
33 | 941 | Chris Catt | Phil Kennard | Warwick Uni S C | 187 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 27 | 40 | 40 |
34 | 845 | G Adamson | L Martin | Stone SC | 200 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
34 | 919 | Chris Stevens | Jo Skinner | Stokes Bay | 200 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
34 | 922 | Nick Wapshott | R Byne | Draycote | 200 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
34 | 943 | Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes | Dan Allin | Cambridge Uni CRC | 200 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
34 | 1013 | Rob Style | Nick Copley | GWSC | 200 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
34 | 1045 | Andrew Foulds | Oliver Dewhurst | Grimwith | 200 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Mon 04 Oct 04 09:31:45