Volvo RS100 End of Season Championship at Datchet Water Sailing Club

Volvo RS End of Season Championships 2014 © LPB Aerial Imagery

Volvo RS100 End of Season Championship at Datchet Water © LPB Aerial Imagery

With a feast and famine forecast of 18 knots gusting 40 and Saturday dying to 5 knots on Sunday, saw 9 RS100s arrive at Datchet, watching big lumps of wind dropping like grenades on to what was shortly become a battlefield.

Most of the fleet left the shore but only 5 started the first race with the others licking their wounds as they returned to the shore. Mark Harrison led up the first beat followed by Giles Peckham, who then capsized down the first run letting Alistair Glen briefly into second before he too had a prolonged capsize. Mark led to the finish followed by Giles and Alistair, with the rest retiring.

Giles and Mark were the only two to start the other races, with Mark winning the second race by a fairly comfortable margin, but with the wind dropping a little in the last race of the day Giles managed to challenge Mark, ducking on the last cross of the beat, but his poor tack meant that Mark led to the finish.

Sunday arrived with a light fickle wind, a postponement and Giles flying overhead from Heathrow. Eventually race four started in about 5 to 6 knots of shifty breeze. Clive Eplett's unusual starting strategy of starting on port at the committee boat paid dividends with the right paying, and he held this commanding lead to the end. Behind him were Mike Adams, Paulius Jersovas and Martin Wilson swapping places, with Paulius making the decisive move up the second beat to secure second place from Mike.

The fifth race started just before the cut off time, with Clive again going right up the first beat, but this time into last place at the windward mark. Martin, coming from the left, led the race followed by Nick Barnett, Mike and Paulius, but on the last beat Mark got a lucky shift and started the last leg just behind Martin, who sailed to the wrong side of the gate allowing Mark to snatch another win, with Nick just beating Paulius into third.

With just the two races on Sunday this meant that Giles took second overall, behind Mark, with Alistair taking third.

Thanks to DWSC race team for managing to get 5 races in such tricky conditions and to Volvo for sponsoring the event. As part of its support of RS Sailing and the RS Class Associations, Volvo Car UK had a strong presence at the End of Seasons, putting on a variety of shore side activities, including a colouring competition, remote controlled cars and the Sail for Gold Game. Team Volvo sailor and London 2012 silver medallist Luke Patience competed at the event in the RS200 class.

Photos by Jonathan and Beverley at © LPB Aerial Imagery, www.lpbaerial.com. DWSC member Tristan Beckett also took photos of both days which you can see in two separate albums, one per day at www.tristanbeckettphotography.co.uk. His photos are for sale.

Overall Results: