Volvo Noble Marine RS200 Nationals at Abersoch

Volvo Noble Marine RS200 Nationals at Abersoch - Day 1

by Angus Peel 3 Aug 2015 11:53 BST 2-6 August 2015

Volvo Noble Marine RS200 Nationals day 1 © Toby Adamson / ProAction FlyThrough

The RS200 fleet has congregated at the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club for the 2015 Volvo Noble Marine RS200 National Championships. It's a big year for the class, with updated sails and boats introduced, and with the support of some exciting new sponsors, as well as Volvo, Noble Marine, and Harken, who have long helped the class put on some of the best events in sailing.

Day one was Lennon Racewear Day, and both the SCYC organisers and the conditions delivered in spades. The 150 competitors were greeted by a damp old start to the day, but any concerns of a week of trench foot were allayed as the bay unveiled itself in all its glory.

Race 1 started in bright sunshine and a 12 knot Southerly, with John and Liz Teague opening the gate, but youth led the way. James Peters and Joanna Wright stormed out of the gate to take a handsome lead; your correspondent will not be starting to leeward of that partnership again! Local favourites Matt Mee and Emma Norris started off their series with a solid second, and Hamish Walker and Emma Hivey in third showed that our armed services don't need to sail more than about once a year to stay super quick.

The weather decided to throw its keys in the bowl for race 2, but the race officer dealt with a few big swings admirably - little time was lost before unleashing upwind gurus Edd Whitehead and Kate Allam as pathfinder and to a lights to flag victory. Hot on their tails were hiking badgers (and overnight Masters leaders) Andy and Jill Peters. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised; tonight's social is a Noah's Ark fancy dress theme, and rumour has it that a badger is going in mufti as a hairy, short sighted Andy. James and Joanna polished off a great day 1 with a 3rd, to lead overnight from Edd and Kate, then Matt and Emma. Other notable performances? Jack Holden and Meg Fletcher well in front in Silver Fleet in a fine 12th, with Gillies Munro and Daniel Harris leading bronze in 20th. And on the evidence so far, you're as likely to be at the front with the old styled sails as with the new.

Looking around the bar after sailing, there is a fantastic number of new faces in the fleet to add to a few of the old salts, and the mixture of new and old is producing some fantastic racing. The week is setting itself up nicely for some added spice, with youth and masters rivalries to add to the mix.

So, to Abersoch's Vaynol for fancy dress, where the animals arrive two by two, and depart... There is at least one Easy Tiger in the fleet, after all...

Results after Day 1:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	Pts
1	1570	James Peters	Joanna Wright	Hayling Island SC	1	3	4
2	1562	Edd Whitehead	Kate Allam	Parkstone YC	10	1	11
3	1566	Matt Mee	Emma Norris	Burghfield SC	2	9	11
4	1467	Ally Martin	Simon Potts	Burghfield SC	5	6	11
5	1488	Mark Heather	Lucy Preston	Hayling Island SC	4	8	12
6	995	Hamish Walker	Emma Hivey	RNSA/ASA	3	10	13
7	1603	Chris Catt	Roz McGrane	Netley SC	9	4	13
8	1508	George Yeoman	Sophie Ormsby	Itchenor SC	7	7	14
9	1549	Tim Saxton	Holly Scott	Itchenor SC/Burghfield SC	6	12	18
10	1559	Andrew Peters	Jill Peters	QMSC	20	2	22
11	1365	John Teague	Liz Teague	Briston Corinthian YC	14	11	25
12	1481	Jack Holden	Meg Fletcher	Arun YC	21	5	26
13	1600	Frances Peters	Claire Lasko	Hayling Island SC	13	13	26
14	1347	David Jessop	Clare Michelmore	Papercourt SC	11	17	28
15	1458	Nick Charles	Alice Eyre	Parkstone YC	15	15	30
16	1579	Josh Metcalfe	Millie Alcock	Y Felinheli	16	16	32
17	123	Owen Bowerman	Morgan Peach	RTYC/HISC	12	22	34
18	855	Tom Brophy	Amy Yeoman	Parkstone YC	8	28	36
19	1237	Dicken MacLean	Jo Hewitson	Hayling Island SC	22	14	36
20	1283	Gillies Munro	Daniel Harris	Royal Findhorn YC	18	19	37
21	1350	Ben Palmer	Amy Seebright	Hayling Island SC	24	18	42
22	1538	Sam Waller	Tom Penty	Beaver SC	19	24	43
23	1422	Caroline Martin	MJ Gifford	Lee on Solent SC	23	26	49
24	629	Will Henderson	Mary Henderson	Itchenor SC	17	33	50
25	626	Will Taylor	Fiona Mulcahy	Brightlingsea SC	30	21	51
26	1495	Tim Ellis	Ed Cowell	Hayling Island SC	26	27	53
27	1378	Mike Saul	Faye Caswell	Yorkshire Dales SC	31	23	54
28	1072	Neil Barrett	Sophie Jones	Wanlip SC	35	25	60
29	1228	Joe Adams	Emma Lucas	Burghfield SC	28	35	63
30	1490	Andy Hadfield	Karen Baker	Parkstone YC	29	34	63
31	1551	Jame Penty	Emma Grayson	Beaver SC	45	20	65
32	1332	Edward Grayson	Rachel Grayson	Beaver SC	39	30	69
33	658	Niki Birrell	Sarah Williams	Parkstone YC	25	46	71
34	1515	James Hutton‑Penman	Tom Jayasekara	Corinthian Otters SC	43	29	72
35	426	Ian Coppenhall	Jessica Blick	Exe SC/Hunts SC	34	39	73
36	1159	Alistair Norris	Fred Mainwaring	Red Wharf Bay	37	36	73
37	1102	Greg Kelly	George Catchpole	Isle of Man YC	36	38	74
38	623	Ben Wilcox	Rachel Offer	ELYC	46	31	77
39	1545	Dan Vickers	Georgie Vickers	Parkstone YC	40	37	77
40	16	Paul Lewis	Rosie Lewis	Hayling Island SC	27	51	78
41	1546	John McKelvie		Strangford Lough YC	48	32	80
42	772	Tom Hewitson	Lucy Hewitson	Hayling Island SC	38	42	80
43	756	Christopher Sanders	Pippa Hardman	Mumbles YC	33	53	86
44	1263	Julian Bradley	The Killer Shrimp	Wembley SC	42	50	92
45	1606	Martin Joesbury	Sian Joesbury	Budworth SC	32	61	93
46	927	Toby Heppell	Calista Paxton	Shoreham SC	44	52	96
47	1296	Matt Bromley	Andrea Bromley	RYA	56	41	97
48	1256	Louise McKeand	Cathy	Leigh and Lowton SC	49	48	97
49	1173	Chris Larr	Abigail Larr	Northhampton SC	58	40	98
50	590	Christopher Thomas	Richard Thomas	Broadstairs SC	55	43	98
51	1602	Emma Deal	Ellie Sharps	Burghfield SC	53	45	98
52	1257	Phil Hardisty	Ciara Kaneen	Isle of Man YC	41	59	100
53	584	Tim Freeman	Hannah Sands	Warsash SC	47	54	101
54	805	Jamie Smith	Larissa Connabeer	HISC/ RTYC	52	49	101
55	864	Luke Burywood	Hannah Burywood	Burghfield SC	62	44	106
56	920	Sophie Heritage	William Heritage	Gurnard SC	59	47	106
57	910	Liberty Askew	Amelia Hewitson	Hayling Island SC	51	57	108
58	1604	Matt Venables	Calum Healey	Royal Southern YC	50	62	112
59	985	Alexander Dawson	Rachel Spain	Itchenor SC	54	63	117
60	1605	Kevin Druce	Charlotte Roberts	Burghfield SC	61	56	117
61	1405	Jude Baird	Fred Fuller	Loch Ryan SC	57	60	117
62	1417	Mike Budd	Katie Budd	SCYC	65	58	123
63	1116	Stirling Taylor	Phillipa Blunden	Burnham SC	60	64	124
64	740	Kathryn Hutton‑ Penman	Matthew Jayasekara	Corinthian Otters SC	74	55	129
65	909	Jack Vincent	Marc Vincent	Bough Beech SC	67	65	132
66	519	Sue Brannam	Mike Proven	Burghfield SC	66	66	132
67	1459	Mike Warwicker	Kate Fitzsimmons	Bough Beech SC	63	70	133
68	1117	Jonathan Olin	Natalie Messingham	Datchet Water SC	64	71	135
69	1330	Pete Haddrell	Flea Haddrell	Burghfield SC	70	68	138
70	1110	Tom Dean	Mike Penty	Beaver SC	73	67	140
71	779	Peter Goodyear	Nicolla Ellis	Burton SC	68	72	140
72	1565	Roger Wilson	Lizzie Turner	Welsh Harp SC	72	69	141
73	1133	Jamie Webb	Harriet Lucas‑Clements	Hayling Island SC	71	73	144
74	786	Rheanna Pavey	Megan O'Brien	Stour SC	69	76	145
75	297	Tom Harrison	Jeny Pearson‑Farr	Wessex SC	75	76	151