RS100s during the RS Sailing Summer Championships at Hayling Island

by Clive Eplett 19 Jun 2017 14:37 BST 17-18 June 2017

An excellent turnout of 24 RS100s pre-entered for the RS Southerns at HISC on 17/18 June, hoping for waves, wind and perhaps even some sun.

For once, the forecasters got it right, wall to wall sun it certainly was; from our Bracklesham Bay vantage point you could see a packed West Wittering beach grow pinker as the days progressed.

With a sub 10 knot breeze, it was going to be interesting who would come to the fore. 2015 Nat Champ Brett Aarons had a new boat, as did Multiple 10.2 Champ Huw Powell. Is he slimming down for this 8.4 malarky? Conditions looked ideal for the winner of the past two events, Ian Gregory, but after a week at the Laser (excuse the profanity) Radial European Masters would he have forgotten what to do with 3 times as much sail area? Two of the Chew crew were in the boat park, but would they again just have a round of crazy-golf then sneak off home just as the rest of us go sailing.

Nope, not so much any of them. As it happened, the star of the show on Saturday was just-finished-my-GCSEs Robert Richardson with a 3-1-3, leading the 1-2-8 of last year's Nat Champ Al Dickson. Behind, it was tight all the way down, with a single point or count-back being the difference between placings, but those two would need to keep a particular eye on Nils Jolliffe, holding a 2-UFD-3.

Sunday's denouement was lighter and even hotter. After a slow sail out to a committee boat seemingly hull-down on the horizon (equator-crossing tributes to Neptune were hastily being improvised) and a delay for the wind to settle, it was Al who led from the off, chased by Mark Harrison, Clive Eplett and Robert. Second time around, Al decided to round the right leeward gate buoy as if the left-hand one. By the time he'd unwound himself, it was game-over. Meantime, Andy Jones (making your correspondent wish he, Andy, did stick to golf) pressed the turbo button and shot past first Robert, then Clive and Mark, boat-speeding into an unassailable lead. Perhaps regretting his choc-bar predilection, Mark slipped behind those two on the last run, which would cost him overall.

What wind there was then gave up the ghost. The OOD ran another start but we were barely beating the tide so, rightly, three guns were fired, to general acclaim.

This made Windermere-based Robert Richardson RS100 Southern Champion (why did we not check his passport for these 'Southerns'?) with a single point separating each of Al Dickson second, then Mark Harrison, Andy Jones, Brett Aarons and Clive Eplett in 3rd to 6th

The 100s next assemble only a few miles over the Severn Bridge in Llandegfedd on1-2 July. Last year's event was a corker, with a warm welcome from the keen and capable home fleet and some great racing. Plus entries are already building for the National Champsionship at Weston. Don't miss out, 100 sailors.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1st	140	Robert Richardson	Royal Windermere YC	‑3	1	3	3	7
2nd	410	Alistair Dickson	Gurnard SC	1	2	8	‑11	11
3rd	379	Mark Harrison	Gurnard SC	‑12	7	1	4	12
4th	172	Andrew Jones	Chew Valley Lake SC	7	5	‑15	1	13
5th	527	Brett Aarons	Gurnard SC	6	4	4	‑7	14
6th	509	Clive Eplett	Frensham Pond	5	8	‑11	2	15
7th	370	Nils Jolliffe	Netley SC	2	3	(UFD)	13	18
8th	314	Steven Lee	Weston SC	4	‑10	9	5	18
9th	1	Huw Powell	Red Wharf Bay SC	8	14	2	(DNC)	24
10th	259	Ian Gregory	Frensham Pond	10	11	5	(DNC)	26
11th	523	Greg Booth	Port Dinorwic SC	11	6	10	(DNC)	27
12th	348	Nick Sandison	Netley SC	‑14	9	13	6	28
13th	180	John Richardson	Royal Windermere YC	‑19	12	7	10	29
14th	302	Daniel Craft	Weston SC	9	‑23	12	9	30
15th	127	Luke Goble	Netley SC	15	13	6	‑17	34
16th	130	Steve Jones	Chew Valley Lake SC	13	16	‑21	8	37
17th	472	Stewart Hawthorn	Royal Southern YC	17	(UFD)	14	14	45
18th	266	Andy Trickett	Netley SC	16	17	‑20	15	48
19th	229	Nick Shuttleworth	Netley SC	‑21	20	18	12	50
20th	526	Mostyn Evans	Mounts Bay SC	‑20	19	17	18	54
21st	321	Keith Willis	Lymington Town SC	18	18	19	(DNC)	55
22nd	294	Andy Conway	Chichester YC	(UFD)	15	16	DNC	56
23rd	492	Nick Griffin	Castle Cove SC	22	22	‑23	16	60
24th	205	Jim Wicks	Locks SC	(UFD)	21	22	19	62