Crewsaver RS Elite Stadium Cup at AAM Cowes Week
by Martin Wadhams, RS Sailing 13 Aug 2012 09:03 BST
12 August 2012
Tight racing in the first heat: Kandoo III, Crauford McKeon, leads E’Tu, Al Keck, and Livez Simon Cavey during the Crewsaver RS Elite Stadium Cup at AAM Cowes Week © Steve Powell
With 8 knots of breeze, glorious evening sunshine and a course set tight along Cowes Green the stage was perfectly set for the Crewsaver RS Elite Stadium Cup. Right up front a major thanks to Crewsaver for making it possible and to the RS Elite Class Association's Steve Powell for a huge amount of work to make it special.
A three minute sequence and 15 minutes races around two windward/ leeward laps meant there was no breathing space in the two knock-out heats and then the final, winner takes all showdown - all ably run by RO Charlie Egerton-Warburton.
There was always going to be pressure on the starts and when Buzz Keck in E'Tu and Freebie were over after trying to pull off port tack starts in the first heat, it looked as though their game was over before it began. Crauford McKeon in Kandoo needs no such advantage and he motored away to look reasonably safe all round, with Mike Tong in Ciao Bella second at the first mark. but the E'Tu boys were the come- back kids on the night and after getting back inside at the bottom they hung on to second to book their slot in the final.
Heat 2 saw Aeolus pull a perfect start with Jon Patterson's Irish team in Momentary Laps on their hip and Paul Fisk sailing Kiss a few costly seconds late at the other end of the line. Jono Brown in Aeolus played to the people on the Green downwind listening to commentary on his own performance through the shore speakers. Despite a heart-in-mouth calm patch on the last run and a major concertina of the fleet Kiss couldn't pass Momentary Laps so they and Aeolus were through, with Matterhorn Jack bringing up the rear.
The Final start was even more hotly fought with Jono Brown pushing Kandoo up with the Irish and E'Tu in turn stuffing them. Kandoo was forced away with 10 seconds to go but this proved crucial as Aeolus and, yet again, E'Tu pulled the trigger early and were over with 2 seconds to go. Both returned quickly but guys, you already know you can't give Kandoo this kind of a break. Once again they led around every mark and, once again the come back kids climbed to second. A late gust made it look as though they may just upset the form book in the last few yards but Kandoo held on the win the Cup ahead of E'Tu, Momentary Laps, with Aeolus bringing up rear just a few lengths back.
After the prize-giving at the Sail For Gold Bar it was off to Cowes Yacht Haven to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony on a big screen with hundreds of sailors - a truly perfect end to an absolutely Champagne day for the RS Elite sailors.
So, two events of the RS Elite fleet's Super August are now completed, but AAM Cowes Week is in full swing and the Wight Vodka Nationals are getting closer. It's hard to imagine just how tight the racing will be!
Crewsaver RS Elite Stadium Cup Results:
1st Crauford McKeon - Kandoo III
2nd Buzz Keck - E'Tu
3rd Momentary Laps - John Patterson
4th Aeolus - Jono Brown