Fat Face RS200 Circuit at Draycote Water Sailing Club

Now I know many reports of sailing events will tell how much competitors enjoyed the event, in part it’s the reporters job to talk up the event but believe me this was a really first class event. To start off there were excellent wind; it may have been coming out of the northeast all weekend dropping the temperature but who cared when it gave such fun sailing conditions. Then there was race management out of the top draw. Tim and Elizabeth Fillmore set very true courses and superb start lines all weekend, only three boats disqualified OCS in six races just shows what happens if lines long enough for the fleet with just the right amount of port bias are set. Then there was a highly competitive fleet that raced hard, downwind on Saturday just shows why so many love racing RS200’s. Chuck in a top caterer on Saturday night with eat all you can buffet, a Mexican theme night, daft costumes, Tequila at £1 a shot and you get the idea we all had a terrible time!

Saturday and there was a blustery 17-22 knots which saw some high speed runs and lots of capsizing. The wind slowly eased and become less gusty as the day progressed much to the relief of many. Sunday and there was a more gentle 10-15 knots again from the northeast.

Roger Gilbert/Jane Willan dominated Saturday leading all three races virtually throughout although never totally breaking clear of the chasing leading group. On the final run of race 2 the chasing group of 4 boats found significant extra pressure and swallowed up the Gilbert/Willan team. Tom Hewitson/Katrina Gilbert went round the outside to win the race on the final gybe, Gilbert/Willan were second just holding off Ian Pickard/Loopy Lucy Matthews on the short reach to the finish.

Sunday and Gilbert/Willan won all three races but this statement does not give a clue to how close the racing was. Matt/Emma Jenkins, Nick Charles/Juliet Kingsnorth and James Stewart/Toby Lewis all had long periods in the lead but the very consistent Gilbert/Willan always found ways through. Sunday also saw a minor Tsunami hit the fleet when Ian Pickard spectacularly fell out his boat tacking on the second beat. Tom Hewitson tried to use the excuse that he was still laughing so much at this when he made perhaps the world’s worst ever leeward mark rounding by a former national champion destroying poor Mark Hatsell’s race in the process.

Matters were tight in the silver division Mike Chapman/Lynne Ratcliffe beating Isle of Mans Russell and June Collister by only two points with Liz Jamie/Ross McKerchan continuing their good start to the season in third. Paul/Corinne Whitbread won the bronze division from Stephen Woodward/Emma Yates and Dan Perry/Jo Hermer.

After two rounds of the Fat Face Racing Circuit the number of different boats taking part is up 35% on the same stage last year. It should be another bumper turnout for the third round of the Fat Face circuit with the first sea event of the year at Parkstone on May 17/18; before then there is the minor matter of the RS Anniversary Fat Face Big Bash at Hayling Island with 50 RS200s already entered.

Overall Results: