For round 7 of the Fat Face circuit, 28 entries braved the constant downpour driving to WPNSA and were rewarded with a ‘gourmet’ 15 to 18 knots blowing from the south southwest.

Before the first race started, Justin Deal & Sarah Marriott (Fat Face) snapped their bowsprit sailing to the start line. Most would have called it a day but Justin cut off the broken piece, replaced the end fitting and hit the water for race 2.

Race One.

With a start line biased to the port end by a couple of boat lengths, the majority of the fleet started at the pin racing to the favoured left side of the racecourse. Leading at the first mark was Rob Style & Ben Lister, followed by Pete Barton & Bonnie Moody (Skifftastic) and Ian Martin & Adam Broughton (Sail 4 Cancer). Spod Olive & Guy Fillmore (Gill/Harken) were caught in mid fleet traffic and had to tack further to the left to clear their air.

On the first run, Martin/Broughton gybed off first looking for more pressure while the majority of the fleet continued on starboard on what appeared to be the tactically favoured gybe. At the bottom, the risk paid off and Martin/Broughton rounded first, Style/Lister and Barton/Moody followed. Olive/Filmore had made big gains to round 4^th.

Judging where to approach the port layline, to take advantage of the wind bending round Portland was critical to getting the beats right all day. Olive/Filmore judged the next perfectly to move into the lead at the windward mark. The chasing boats cut the starboard lay into the mark a bit fine and even with a gear-change into height mode, gave away valuable distance to the new leader.

Olive/Filmore went on to win the race easily, Martin/Broughton finished second and Barton/Moody third. Newlyweds James & Heather Ross showed married life is good for boat speed and scored a fourth place.

Race Two.

Andy Cornah/Orwin Murray started fast at the pin in race two becoming early leaders up the beat. Barton/Moody rounded the windward mark first followed by Olive/Filmore. Guy Filmore showed why he’d been recruited by Spod and put in a lightening quick hoist which fired them into the lead. Barton/Moody managed to recover first place for just a moment on the following beat but Olive/Filmore were stronger and came through to take the bullet.

Neil Baker and James Hughes showed their open meeting winning style, timing their romp through the fleet to take third at the finish from Ben Schooling & Tim Hirst.

Race Three.

The final start of the day was almost a carbon copy of the first two with the main contenders starting at the pin end trying to gain separation and a speed advantage on nearby boats. Several tacked early to find a little something in the middle of the racecourse and get a better approach into Portland.

Cornah/Murray headed furthest into Portland off the line and lead by a small distance from Barton/Moody at the windward mark. After two and three quarter laps in the lead, Cornah/Murray made a small tactical error and gifted Barton/Moody their first win of the day.

Baker/Hughes wrestled for third with Olive/Filmore who used everything in the textbook to gain the eventual advantage.

Overnight just one point separated second placed Barton/Moody and leaders Olive/Filmore. Third place was decided on count back in favour of Cornah/Murray with Baker/Hughes in fourth both on 13 points. Fifth and sixth place – Martin/Broughton and Schooling/Hirst were tied on 16 points so there was everything to play for on Sunday.

Sunday started with bright blue skies and an extra few knots out on the racecourse, the wind now averaging 25 knots gusting 28. Racing was on!! Andy Jeffries and Allyson Ody drove all the way from Eastbourne for this days racing and led the nervous fleet out.

Race Four.

For race four the start was port biased and familiar faces popped up at the top mark – Barton/Moody and Olive/Filmore rounding first. Martin/Broughton hampered their chances by capsizing at the top of the first run allowing the whole fleet past.

Eventually Barton/Moody stole the initiative from Olive/Filmore who capsized trying to gybe too many times in the unpredictable waves at the leeward mark. Or maybe they were demonstrating the usefulness of their righting lines - either way things became extremely tight for first place.

Third was taken by Ben Schooling & Tim “it’s only worth going sailing if it’s windy!” Hirst at the finish after Jeffries/Ody stuck it in on the penultimate run. A recovering Martin/Broughton pulled back to fourth keeping things interesting for third place.

Race Five.

The wind increased further for race five with 32 knots recorded on the harbour wall and white tops seen everywhere – even looking downwind!! The fleet hadn’t encountered wind like this hadn’t since Pwllheli in 2005 and were clocking some awesome pace downwind in the protected waters. Olive/Filmore started fast showing a clean pair of heels to the chasing fleet all the way to the finish. The initiative now swung away from Barton/Moody who finished second.

The race for third overall was equally entertaining - Martin/Broughton followed the leading pair down the first run in third place with Schooling/Hirst chasing. The pressure must have been too much; Martin/Broughton had another good look at the bottom of their boat at the end of lap one. Third was now in the grasp of Schooling/Hirst.

Martin/Broughton fought back into fifth place by the top of the final beat and with Graham Simmonds & Chris Doe separating them from Schooling/Hirst, things looked well and truly over. Well until Schooling/Hirst decided to capsize on the last gybe into the finish…

Unsurprisingly in the conditions, race six was abandoned.

Congratulations to Spod Olive and Guy Filmore for their impressive win in the very testing conditions. Second overall was enough to give the overall 2007 Face Face Circuit title to Peter Barton and his gaggle of crews with two open meetings to spare.

The battle for final podium place went to Ian Martin and Adam Broughton with Ben Schooling just a single point behind in fourth. Brother and sister combo Simon and Jo Skinner won the silver fleet posting a consistent set of results.

Next stop on the Fat Face circuit is at Weston SC on the 14^th/15^th July.