Volvo Noble Marine RS800 Nationals at Stokes Bay Sailing Club - Day 1

RS700 and RS800 Volvo Noble Marine Nationals at Stokes Bay day 1 © Alex & David Irwin / www.sportography.tv

RS700 and RS800 Volvo Noble Marine Nationals at Stokes Bay day 1 © Alex & David Irwin / www.sportography.tv

RS700 and RS800 Volvo Noble Marine Nationals at Stokes Bay day 1 © Alex & David Irwin / www.sportography.tv

Stokes Bay Sailing Club have put on their characteristic warm welcome to the RS800 and RS700 fleets for their Volvo Noble Marine National Championships. The galley is fully stocked up with tasty goodies and the social programme is packed with fun and frivolity.

The sixty two RS800 sailors who've turned up for the first day were greeted with a decent breeze and a slightly gnarly wave state, the SSW onshore wind kicking up a challenging standing wave pattern around the start line and leeward marks. Launching was a bit tricky for the non-locals but everyone helped each other get safely away from the shingle beach.

Race One

Phil Walker and John Mather managed to get away cleanly from the starboard biased start line hotly pursued by local rock stars Chris Rashley and Billy Vennis-Ozanne who are making a guest appearance in the class for this National Championships. Approaching what they believed to be the windward mark, Phil and John were leading but it turned out to be the spreader mark being towed away by a rib having dragged in the strong spring ebb. Chris and Billy took advantage, taking the lead which they held to the finish. Third round were Ella and James Morland but they were out-hoisted and rolled by Pete Barton and Chris Feibusch.

At the end of the second lap the shorten course flag was up on the committee boat. Boats that rounded the left hand leeward could then see that it was only the RS700s that were shortened so having passed through the finish line carried on upwind. Phil and John chose the right hand leeward, saw the others apparently finishing and gybed back for the finish, dropping behind Ella and James.

After the third and final lap, during which the spreader mark again unfortunately ended up to windward of the windward mark causing similar confusion for the competitors, Chris and Billy had a substantial lead followed by Pete and Chris, and Ella and James.

The sea state dealt a blow to several of the top contenders including Ralph and Sophie Singleton who lost their rudder at the windward mark, Andy and Allyson Jeffries who broke their boom and Joe Joyner and Will Broom who snapped their bowsprit.

Race Two

By the second race the chop had abated a little. After a general recall the fleet started cleanly off a port biased line. Once again Chris and Billy led into the windward mark from the right hand side, chased by more local rock stars Josh Belben and Alain Sign, but overstood the mark letting Pete and Chris tack below them to steal the lead. The top four boats were very close at the leeward mark. Luke & Emma McEwen tacked off in fourth place to come in to the windward mark from the right hand side second to Chris and Billy. Down the final run of the two lap race, Pete broke his tiller extension so couldn't wire. Josh and Alain took advantage to finish third behind Chris and Billy, and Luke and Emma.

RS700 and RS800 Volvo Noble Marine Nationals at Stokes Bay day 1 - photo © Alex & David Irwin / www.sportography.tv

So now everyone's back ashore and had a welcome mug of tea, it's time for beers and curry and an inspirational talk from Open 60 sailor Mike GoldingOBE who would probably laugh in the face of today's Solent chop after his experiences in the Southern Ocean.

Results after Day 1: