Fox's Marine and Country RS200 Open at Alton Water Sports Centre
by Mark Smith 18 May 2016 14:05 BST
14-15 May 2016
17 RS200s came to Alton Water from across the area to take part in the 200/400/Feva Open. Saturday dawned cold and pretty windy with a cool north breeze coming across quite the narrowest part of the reservoir making life difficult for Gavin Johnson the OOD and his team. They managed however to set a fair windward-leeward course with a start seemingly on one beach and the windward mark and spreader in the bushes on the other side of the pond.
Races one and two were run before lunch and went to Sarah and Dave although they were lucky to get the second race rather gifted to them by Rheana and Holly who went for an extra fifth lap from a leading position. After lunch, and in a fresher breeze the races continued and attrition reduced the fleet as outfits retired cold and tired. The younger teams, especially those from the Royal Hospital School, seemed to lap up the conditions and enjoy themselves hugely.
Tired sailors then regrouped for Sunday which dawned much warmer but without a breath of wind. The club racing was cancelled in the morning but the race team held on and AP hung limply from its halyard until around 1330 when the first whispers of a sea breeze came in from the east. Gavin set a short course towards the dam and we were off again with three sprint style, three lap races with races running at around 20 minutes each. The starts were everything and became very competitive indeed, and the races were generally raced in a close competitive fleet from start to finish. Ed and Rebecca pulled off a superb port hand flyer in race six and beat the entire fleet away easily. The RHS teams match raced each other which let others through and throughout the whole fleet places changed regularly with a moment's inattention costing many places. If Saturday drained physically the work on Sunday was all mental and equally exhausting.
Mention must be made of Joe and Harvey and Julie and Nick who have only recently got their 200s and raced in their first Open Meeting and to Sean and Sophie who travelled the furthest to the event.
Dave and Sarah won the regatta easily followed relatively closely by Rheana and Holly with Dan and Phoebe. Full results are available here.
Thanks to Alton Water, Gavin, Liane, Mike, Livvy, John and Nigel and all who made it happen.
The series results are available here.
The next event is at Burnham for their Asymmetric Regatta 16th July - see you there.