RS Feva Open at Portchester Sailing Club

RS Fevas at Portchester © Ross Underwood

RS Fevas at Portchester © Ross Underwood

Sunday 30th dawned grey and very windy. Thanks to the forecasts of increasing winds (gusting up to 30 knots) and rain later, only 10 boats ventured to Portchester to take their chances.

With a 12.30 first start time advertised, the race officer Doug Latta was dubious about letting the fleet go on the water, especially with winds increasing in the harbour. However after carefully analysing the latest situation it was apparent the wind would decrease somewhat around 13.30. Accordingly a postponement was signalled, and the assembled sailors and parents were able to enjoy hot food and some drinks at the club.

Race 1 - The first race got underway at 13.45 accompanied by the forecast rain, with all 10 boats finding their places right on the line but with an impressive 'all clear' the race got underway. While the line had been relatively square prior to the start, a shift to the right came through about a minute before the start and the top group spotted this and reacted accordingly. The right side of the course paid off, especially to start, and Hayling Island sailors Freddie Wood and Phoebe Peters took full advantage to take a small lead from fellow HISC sailors Ralph Neville and Rachel Pyke with Angus Bilpatrick and Freddie Ellis rounding in 3rd. Salcombe YC sailors George Alexander and Ru McColl gave chase followed by local pair Nic Ross and Blake Latta. By the leeward marks this group had broken away from the fleet, but gear failure in the shape of a shredded spinnaker halyard forced an early retirement from Neville & Pyke, allowing the followers to move up a place.

By the end of the second lap, Wood and Peters were still leading and the Salcombe pair had moved up to 2nd, and HISC sailors Annie Hammett and Emma Wells had regained from their 7th in lap one to 3rd. Thanks to shifty conditions further up the course, and some hefty gusts favouring some sailors over others downwind, Alexander and McColl were able to overtake Wood and Peters while Hammett and Wells held their 3rd place.

Race 2 - With a quick turnaround, and winds dropping to a F3-4 the fleet re-assembled this time to a somewhat port biased line. Woods and Peters split second timing bang on the pin travelling at full speed set the pace and maintained a healthy lead from that point on. Neville and Pyke had returned to the race area, and despite a less impressive start leaving them in 5th after the first round, they subsequently picked up significant places despite not flying a spinnaker and resorting to going dead downwind with goose-winged jib – the resultant straight line 'shortest distance' paid off and while others were going fast, they were able to nab 2nd place by the finish after playing the shifts well up the long beats. With the fleet all within a few seconds of each other after the second round, the race officer and his team were getting their video equipment ready for a photo finish! Ross and Latta, starting last after being caught out upwind of the committee boat pulled up throughout the race and finished in 3rd.

RS Fevas at Portchester - photo © Ross Underwood

Race 3 - Again a speedy turnaround, and excellent control by all competitors on the line, another clean start got the third race underway. The wind had picked up again, and the fleet displayed it's talent with all sailors still smiling, no capsizes and serious focus on winning by all. The assembled Portchester SC on the water support team watched with interest and a touch of jealousy knowing that the home fleets of Solos, Lasers and RS400's may not have fared so well.

Other than the by now unassailable Wood and Peters lead, places were changing elsewhere in the fleet with some crews gaining up to two places throughout the race, with some dropping as many as four places as sailors took advantage of or fell foul of the by now regular shifts and strong gusts. Wood and Peters took the bullet assuring them of an overall win, Bilpatrick and Ellis took second and Neville and Pyke third.

Totting up the final scores, there was a tie in points between 2nd and 3rd, and another between 4th & 5th, giving a clue as to the closeness of the racing.

Overall Results:

RS Fevas at Portchester - photo © Ross Underwood