Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships - Overall Report

In an ideal world a national championship would consist of the widest spread of conditions in which to establish the very best. The 2023 RS400 Noble Marine Rooster National Championships in Mounts Bay delivered just that with a full range of conditions throughout the week from one end of the weather spectrum to the other.

Aside from tackling the conditions, achieving consistency throughout the week in one of the most competitive line ups that the class has seen was an achievement in itself and made for some very worthy winners.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

The five-day event started with a light and shifty breeze that was as taxing for the race officer as it was for the 69 crews that were trying to figure out the best way to keep the boat moving in sub 10knot winds and a very awkward sea state. In fact, the challenge had started for many even earlier as they tried to remember how to get the best out of a gate start. This proved tricky for some.

The second day's racing was made slightly easier as the breeze was up a few knots and steadier in direction. But the waves were still a big challenge as an offshore swell from one direction continued to mix with a chop set up by the breeze that had shifted significantly. And while there were wind shifts to be worked, maintaining boat speed continued to be the main focus for all.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

With the prospect of losing day three to a gale that was due to sweep through Cornwall the race committee made the decision to run three races on the second and fourth days to make up for the for the lost day.

So, after two days of racing there were five sets of results on the score sheet which provided some early clues as to how the Nationals might pan out, starting with an indication of just how tightly fought this event looked set to be.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

In four races there had been four different winners, Chris Eames and Rachel Tilley (1528) took the first win, Edd Whitehead and Ben Whaley (1541) took race two, Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst (1526) were winners of the third with Roger Gilbert and Keith Bedborough (1533) taking the fourth win.

It wasn't until the fifth race that one of the top teams managed to replicate their early success. Here it was Groves and Parkhurst that managed to deliver a second bullet in the fifth race.

While this was taken by some as a hint of what might be in store the reality was that all that the fleet actually knew was once the gale had swept through, the weather forecast once racing resumed looked set to provide some punchy conditions.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

And as the fleet set out on the third day of racing the full-on foam-up sleigh ride out to the start provided confirmation of just that, Big Thursday had arrived. But as it played out there was more to come.

For some just getting to the start involved a swim. Interestingly, the reasons for dropping the ball were varied from admissions of simply being out of practice, to being distracted by dolphins to such an extent that they had ended up joining them. For others, just waiting for the start resulted in a dunking too.

When it came to the gate start in a breeze that was gusting into the mid-twenties, getting across the line cleanly was a challenge too.

For those that did, settling down into a long hard beat set the tone for the rest of the day. Such were the punchy conditions upwind in the asymmetric sea state that tacking onto port to drain the boat was a popular tactic.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

Once again, the top of the leader board was a mix of results as Whitehead and Whaley took the win in race six, Groves and Parkhurst took the bullet in race 7 and Gilbert and Bedborough won race 8, the final race of the day.

By this stage the breeze had pushed up into 25-30knots and had taken its toll on the fleet with plenty calling it a day at two races. But for those that stayed out for the full set, the downwind rides were epic.

With another spread of winners, the score board going into the final day was tight at the top with just three points separating Whitehead/Whaley, Groves/Parkhurst and Gilbert/Bedborough.

"The big breeze was quite a challenge for us because while we have sailed together in these conditions in the RS200 and were quite heavy in that boat, we're light in the 400 and haven't sailed together in these conditions," said Esther Parkhurst. "Gybing was what I was most nervous about, but we did alright and had no swims."

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

As the post-race stories did the rounds in the bar it was clear that they were in the minority in this respect.

Come the final day, those that had excelled in Thursday's breeze were hoping it would hold up, but the forecast suggested otherwise. Starting in the low twenties the wind was due to decrease to the mid-teens through the day, which is precisely what it did. In doing so, Friday's racing provided the missing piece when it came to completing the full suite of conditions.

The penultimate race saw Groves/Parkhurst take another win with Whitehead/Whaley coming second, a result that put both teams on even points going into the final race.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

Meanwhile, Gilbert/Bedborough had finished the penultimate race in fourth which meant that they had to pull a rabbit out of the hat to win overall. And while they achieved a second place in a race that was becoming tricky as the breeze decreased, the battle for the overall trophy was now a match race from the start as Whitehead/Whaley took the upper hand in the last few seconds before starting.

In what became essential viewing after the race, drone footage showed how Whitehead/Whaley had got the hook to leeward on Groves/Parkhurst on the run into the start and forced them up to windward. From there it was a case of defending their position for the next two laps.

"Going into the final race Roger [Gilbert] was out of contention for winning so we were able to focus on Ollie [Groves] and Esther [Parkhurst] and managed to engage with them at the start forcing them high, into some dirty air and back into the fleet," said Whitehead. "But they came back, it was really only towards the end of the last downwind leg that we managed to stretch out some distance on them. It was a pretty full-on race with lots of pressure."

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

Overall victory had indeed gone down to the wire, Whitehead/Whaley had taken the 2023 National Championships in a week that had been as varied as you could possibly get. But they had also achieved it on their first attempt having only completed their first event in a 400 a few weeks before.

The 2023 RS400 National Championships podium was clear evidence as to just how tight this year's event had been. One point to second for Groves and Parkhurst and just two points from second to third for Gilbert and Bedborough.

Meanwhile, in the Silver fleet Sam Watson and Geoff Edwards (1414) had taken the trophy while finishing 10th overall with Jeremy Stephens and Thomas Kliskey (690) winning Bronze and coming 33rd overall in a boat that was more than 25 years old.

Noble Marine Rooster RS400 National Championships 2023 day 5 - photo © Lee Whitehead / Photolounge

Overall, the message was clear, Mounts Bay had not only delivered once again afloat and ashore but the conditions had been perfect for establishing the very best in the class.

In his victory speech Edd Whitehead paid tribute to the skill and dedication of the race team and all of the club volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the week, as well as thanking the RS Class Association, RS400 committee, sponsors Rooster and Noble Marine and the entire fleet of RS400 sailors.

Overall Results: