Noble Marine Rooster 4000 class Inlands at Rutland Sailing Club

Noble Marine Rooster 4000 class Inland Championships at Rutland © Richard Barnes

Noble Marine Rooster 4000 class Inland Championships at Rutland © Richard Barnes

2014 has been a strong year for the 4000 class, marked by the adoption of Rooster as the official class supplier and the steady introduction of new class sails, foils and other spares that maintain strict one-design performance whilst refreshing the design and importantly decreasing cost. So it was fitting that Rutland again delivered Garda-esque wind strengths for the final UK series event of the year.

A few having been put off by the forecast, a nevertheless good double-digit turnout of boats lined up for the first start on Saturday in a fresh and occasionally 20knot+ south-westerly. Steve and Sarah Cockerill started as they meant to go on recording a solid first but with some very tight racing at the front of the fleet, there was no time to relax. The second race of the day was taken by Neil Heffernan and Matt Barker nicely playing some gusts along the dam to pick up places on the last two downwind legs. Indeed Neil did well with guest crew Matt to avoid throwing himself out of the boat given the radical difference in rack width when you've got a 85kg+ crew (yes, sorry Matt) in comparison with the much svelter Jo, but demonstrating nicely the effectiveness of the 4000s weight equalisation system.

Race number 3 again saw Steve and Sarah take first, with Tim and Harry Litt from Rutland Sailing Club close behind and David Marchant and Alistair Farman from Grafham thereafter in third.

Sunday dawned, and the wind had strengthened. Despite tannoyed re-assurance from the race committee of 13 knots gusting 18 on the course the wind swiftly built to significantly more than that (indeed 'biblical conditions' as described by one crew) and the first race turned out to be the only one of the day, grace of some good decision making by the race committee. Success at all parts of the fleet being measured by capsizes avoided, there was admirable contrast between the survival tactics of some and the glory spinnaker reaches interspersed with more aquatic moments of others. In the end both approaches seemed to equal out. Ant and Kenneth crossed the line in admirable style to record victory, whilst everyone who finished that race had definitely earned it.

So in all in all, another great weekend of 4000 sailing, and plenty to look forward to as we go into 2015. The series kicks off again in April, and with Europeans at Quiberon, France and the Nationals at Mumbles SC it looks like being a cracking year of sailing and socialising. So if you haven't been out in your 4000 for a while, dust it down and get it ready; and if you want to try one or buy one then get in touch with the class; there really can't be a better value, faster, accessible double-handed skiff!

Grateful thanks to sponsors Noble Marine and Rooster Sailing.

www.4000.org.uk

Overall Results: