Volvo RS200 End of Season Championship at Datchet Water Sailing Club

Volvo RS End of Season Championships 2014 © LPB Aerial Imagery

Volvo RS End of Season Championships 2014 © LPB Aerial Imagery

Twenty-six 200s arrived at Datchet on Saturday morning to a busy boat park and some decent breeze we haven't seen in a while!

The first race was breezy and favoured the more experienced teams who got to show off some impressive boat handling. It was a close race but Matt Mee/Emma Norris smashed it with Chris Catt/Roz McGrane and Nick & Jules Charles coming up behind.

The breeze built in the second race and opened up the competition, with Ally Martin/Simon Potts taking advantage of some wicked gusts downwind and pulling out an impressive lead. Mee/Norris and Catt/McGrane followed.

In the third race, there were some big gusts and bigger lulls, making the fleet close together by the top marks. Mee/Norris showed us all how to do it, with Ben Palmer/Fiona Hampshire and Josh Metcalfe/Ellie Gadd chasing them down.

Sunday could not have been more different. The reservoir was flat calm and there was some sun (something we didn't see the day before). After an hour's postponement on shore, we all headed out but ended up waiting a bit longer whilst the race officer assured us there was a six knot breeze coming. Luckily he was right and the racing started.

In the fourth race of the series, Emma Norris, helmed by special guest star Niki Birrell, snuck up to the front managing to take advantage of the conditions, with Luke Patience/Lisa Tait and Ben Palmer/Fiona Hampshire in second and third, respectively.

In the final race, the breeze was dropping rapidly and Catt/Mcgrane, Alan Roberts/Holly Scott and Will Taylor/Fiona Mulcahy figured it out and nailed the last race.

Thank you to Datchet for running a great weekend of racing and to all of the competitors for coming. We had a fantastic weekend's sailing and the race committee did an awesome job of getting all of the fleets out and racing in the conditions!

Thank you also to Volvo for supporting the classes this year! 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 and presented the prizes.

See you all next year!

Overall Results:

Volvo RS End of Season Championships 2014 - photo © LPB Aerial Imagery