RS400 Open at Locks Sailing Club

RS400s at Locks Sailing Club © Locks Sailing Club

RS400s at Locks Sailing Club © Locks Sailing Club

RS400s at Locks Sailing Club © Locks Sailing Club

There's nothing like being at the centre of the action and as we rounded the last mark of the last race of the Locks SC one day Southern Tour event we, (Matt & Ellie Sheahan 1051), found ourselves sandwiched between the two top boats, still battling for overall honours. A perfect position you may think to report on the defining moments of the event. Indeed it was, but as one more used to reporting on such close action from a press boat with a notepad and cappuccino in hand, it felt odd to be such an integral part of the action.

In a change to the usual reach to the finish, the Locks event saw the more time honoured windward leg finish, just a few hundred metres after rounding the leeward mark. But to understand the intensity of the final few seconds of a spectacular day on the water requires winding back to the final windward mark rounding.

With the breeze a steady 20kts and gusts nudging 25, (according to www.chimet.co.uk), the west going spring tide pressed against this solid breeze to create a testing sea state for the downwind legs. Just keeping the boat under the rig and the bows above the water proved sufficiently challenging that not even the hot shots tried gybing any more times than was absolutely necessary (ie. once) on the downhill slides.

Throughout the day the fleet had shrunk during the three race series as the conditions took their toll, but the front runners, Howard Farbrother/Dan Martin (1418) and Paul/Mark Oakey (1414) among others were still hanging in there. Separated by just one point, the Farbrother/Martin duo had a first and second to their names, the Oakeys a first and a third.

So as Farbrother/Martin rounded the last windward mark in first place with just one final run to go and the Oakey's capsized during their kite hoist, the final results looked pretty certain. Until Farbrother/Martin went for a swim on the final gybe, letting Sam & John Knight (1202) and the Martin brothers (1444) through into first and second.

A quick recovery saw the Oakeys up and running while Farbrother/Martin were still swimming around their boat.

In 20-25 knots of breeze it didn't take long to get to the bottom mark and with first and second taken care of at the final mark rounding the action got more lively as we (1051) and the Oakeys came into the leeward mark on port, side by side, just as Farbrother/Martin came blazing in on starboard. But in their enthusiasm to assert their starboard authority and flick in the perfect drop/gybe they spun up too early, missed the mark and were left pirouetting on the wrong side of the mark. Meanwhile the Oakeys and ourselves, slipped around the mark and pretended not to hear the 'conversation' aboard 1418 as we thumped our way to the finish.

RS400s at Locks Sailing Club - photo © Locks Sailing Club

A third for the Oakeys with one place in between was all that they needed to take the overall win leaving Farbrother/Martin second and the Martin brothers third.

As always Locks SC laid on a superb one day event, well run, friendly and very good value, especially given the free tea and bacon butties for breakfast. Seventeen boats entered, fifteen boats raced and while the conditions developed to become a bit punchy later in the day, the sunshine added sufficient sparkle to make this a worthy entry into the, 'you should have been there', category.

Lots of photos at Locks SC Facebook page.

Overall Results: