Results / RS Fat Face Racing Stokes Bay SC - 15/05/2004

A sunny and windless day greeted 38 RS800s for the third Fat Face Open of the year, and the first sea event. The race officer postponed until the breeze filled in and settled. The first race got underway in a light south easterly, and with a biased line and plenty of tide under the fleet several boats suffered from the black flag. The second start saw Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel in the Magic Marine boat head out to the left taking advantage of more pressure in shore to round in the lead and set off over the horizon. The ensuing scrap for second was won by James Date and Mike Warren followed by Mick Whitmore and Sarah Smith in third. The second race was abandoned when the breeze died from the south east and filled in from the south west at the first windward mark. Racing was then abandoned for the day as the wind refused to settle. The fleet had an excellent and popular coaching session after racing with video feedback from the days racing, provided by the class association. Sunday dawned much the same as Saturday and the postponement flag was once again raised until a gentle south easterly settled across the racing area. Race three saw Date and Warren take an early lead from David and Fiona Sayce with Irish and Gotrel working their way through the fleet to third by the finish. The chief excitement of this race began with about fourteenth place and seemed to end up with the majority of the fleet stuck in a massive raft on the mark prior to the finish with everyone trying to run against a one knot current in 4 knots of breeze whilst all taking each other's wind. This turned the midfleet results on their head as the fleet slowly disentangled itself. Race five began in very light wind, which never built or dropped for the entire race. Matt Critchley and Ryan Crawford got a clean start and rounded the windward mark first, and sailed off in clear air to lead the fleet round to the finish. Team Magic Marine, Irish and Gotrel had to work hard to win the event (as Date and Warren were a point ahead) but lost out on second place to Clive and Phil Goodwin who seemed to find downwind speed from nowhere, Date and Warren needed fourth to win, but had it cruelly stolen by Spod Olive and Jane Norris in the last hundred yards of the last run and had to settle for second overall. Irish and Gotrel win again (due to no discards in a three race series), but Sunday showed that they can be caught (at last). Date and Warren's new boat will get faster for sure, and with several new faces up there this weekend including Chris Catt and Phil Kennard putting in some great consistency to get third overall, the competition looks to be hotting up for the rest of the season. Next stop Datchet for more Fat Face racing.