Results / Gul Winter Championships Chew Valley Lake SC - 12/03/2005

Obviously comparing Chew with Bondi Beach would be inappropriate with the freezing conditions, pre-ice age cloud cover and a bitter wind from the Artic. But me, with my reputation, what could they be thinking when they asked me to write up this event? So Surfing dudes, let�s party. As I looked out from the Chew club house at our break for the weekend, I knew, shifty and tea bagging were going to be terms in common usage. There had been little rain over the winter and this has had obvious attracted a range of centreboard biting sharks (generally found in shallow water, especially Hayling Island) hell bent on attacking on a number of boats, always close to shore and always highly damaging to the 800 fleet. Race one had obviously attracted a swarm with the sickening crunch of ripping fibre glass as boats heading for the start line were attacked. Several had to limp ashore and patch the damage before returning to the surf action. Adriane and Julia (recently engaged and still sailing with each other) managing to borrow a boat and making it out in time to race again. The pit stop team must have been on fire! Race 1 Race one kicked off cleanly with some gnarly gusts coming over the club house switching backwards and forwards as the clouds passed over. The left had been looking good for the stronger winds so a number of the fleet headed over looking for the first header that signalled the time to tack. Good wave action and twin wiring meant that you had to be tuned in for the gusts. A few boats heading right suffered from the viscous great white shark (little Denny) who had positioned himself by the small island in the middle of the lake. The top mark under the club house meant that we all got practice tacking. The leaders managed to get round without any damage with Steve Irish and Martin Gottrel (sponsored by Magic Marine) leading the fleet into the left side of the course, feeding into the gusts heading down the lake. Twin wiring in flat water, what more could our surfers ask for? With Chris Haworth and Stuart Astons following on with Spod and Jane Olive (Sponsored by Solar) just behind. Ian Martin and Claire Booth creeping up behind them in their new ship looking very nice with the aft main sheet system. By the bottom mark Steve and Martin had developed a distinct lead that would leave the rest of us scrabbling in the wake. Chris and Stuart, battling with Spod and Jane for the king of the shifts, with places changing up and down wind. Finally Spod and Jane picked up some wind on the right down wind to ease into second place. So the lessons from that race meant hitting the shifts right up wind and searching for the pressure down wind. A lesson that would apply to the rest of the weekend with places changing dramatically each leg. Race 2 The second race followed a similar routine but this time Chris and Stuart managed to get ahead and create a good lead on the rest with Spod and Jane hot in pursuit. Ian & Claire came flying in on the port lay line third only to find Neil Ashby and Roz Allen steaming in on starboard. A 720 left them wallowing at the back of the fleet but with some gambles down wind and back the left corner the pulled back up to finish 4th. They weren�t the only ones to do turns, Steve and Martin had a minor incident and his 720 off the start line keep him back from the front runner until the penultimate laps when a great gust projected him into second place. However some cunning down wind gust selection found the wind feeding in from the right to allow Spod and Jane back into second place at the bottom mark with Steve and Martin attacking back all the way to the finish. Race 3 After a huge wind shift and a general recall, the fleet eventually got away. Spod & Jane started well and headed over to the left hand side of the course, hit the header and tacked. A good lift into the top mark kept them ahead of the fleet who were coming in on the Starboard layline. With the wind filling in from behind it was a case of gybing with the fleet looking for the stronger gusts to stay ahead. The shift upwind were equally unpredictable with places changing all of the time. With a 200m lead Spod and Jane misread the committee boat flags and decided to head for the finish a lap too early letting Justin Deal and Sarah Marriot and Lawrie Fitzjohn and Dan Allin through the gap. A tough upwind fight found Spod and Jane back to second place, more swapping places down wind but Justin and Sarah kept their cool and lead to the finish. Spod and Jane second, still fuming at their mistake, Lawrie and Dan 3rd and Steve and Martin clawing back to fourth. So time to lick the wounds, seal up the holes made by the shark attacks, warmth, steak pie, form the new RS800 class committee and head off to the local pub. Sunday Race 4 The wind had dropped over night but remained in a similar shifty direction. Single wiring stuff with a few puffs. After a little hesitation the fleets launched and gingerly made their way down to the start avoid the under water logs and bumps (sorry shark areas). Justin and Sarah lead most of the race heading right at the bottom mark (and running aground in the process) and hit a huge lift coming in from the right. Steve and Martin managed to creep into second with Ian and Clare just behind. Try to over take Ian and Claire gybed set to get past Steve and Martin and once again the wind filled in from the left allowing Chris and Stuart and Neil and Roz to get past. Mean while the battle for first saw Steve and Martin coming in on starboard at the last mark and squeaking through to finish in front of Justin and Sarah. Race 5 & 6- Business as usual By now there were a number of teddies floating around the lake as shifty conditions had caused rows in every boat. The calm surfing dude speak had been replaced with some sharp language not to be repeated. Again it was a day to keep your head out of the boat and try not to get too frustrated. Places came and went and you just had to stay level headed. Steve and Martin showed some great examples of this for the last 2 races with clean fast starts and playing the shifts and gusts well. These were the conditions he has always revelled in and two bullets sealed his victory in this event. The usual suspects finished behind and Neil and Roz showed a consistent turn of speed, especially on the Sunday marking their return to the fleet. The other good results came from Lawrie and Dan , Phil King and Ian Robertson who scored a couple of fourths and Ralph and Sophie Singleton who had consistent weekend to take them up to 6th overall. Finally Merit ward went to Kate Gillow and Katie Savage who had spent most of last season at the back but obviously had picked up some speed juice from somewhere to finish 12th Spod Olive