The Show Must Go On for the Fat Face Night Sail
by Rachel Anning 9 Jul 2008 12:47 BST
5 July 2008
The inaugural Fat Face Night Sail on Saturday (5th July) in Plymouth was greeted with gusts of 60 mph winds making it impossible to run the event, as was originally intended.
However, not wishing to send over 100 sailors home who had made the pilgrimage to Plymouth from all over the UK, including Scotland, and never to be outdone by the Great British weather, Fat Face took the decision that it would use the facilities at The Mount Batten Centre to run a massive inter team championship.
In total, seven of the dinghy sailing classes (B14, Laser Radials, RS 200, Laser 4000, RS Fevas, RS 400 and the 29ers) braved the weather warnings to turn up to the event and a series of on and off water activities were held, culminating in a huge prize giving, party and a major success for the first of many Fat Face Night Sails!
The B14 Class were awarded the Fat Face Night Sail Champions, taking £500 prize money. Second on the podium was the Laser Radials who took their share with £300 and Laser 4000 in third who were awarded £200.
The day’s activities started just after lunch on Saturday in a huge Tug-o-War, with the lighter classes not fairing as well and being pulled across a soggy field at the top of The Mount Batten centre! The knock-out finals ended up with the B14 Class taking on the Laser 4000s with the B14s winning.
Next was a huge Welly Wanging competition, which, as random as it may sound, is not as easy as it sounds! The official line of judging concluded that in actual fact the RS Class were rubbish at this activity, the Fevas fairing better and the Laser 4000 class taking the crown!
The last land based activity consisted of working closely together as a team and coordinating walking on a series of planks, connected with ropes, around a number of obstacles. Again it was the Laser 4000 Class which snatched top place!
With the wind still building it was time to take to the water! The next race, entitled ‘Fun Boat Fetch’ consisted of pulling as many of the class as possible onto a yellow plastic catamaran and heading out onto the race course. Here, the event organisers released a number of plastic balls for the sailors to pick up. Not wishing to do anything by half measure, the vast majority of them simply threw themselves into the water to manically pick up as many of the balls as possible, creating a real spectacle in a Force 9!
The Laser Radials were able to catch up on points in this race and proved to be a force to reckoned with, partly by cheating and taking the bungs out of the other boats so they could paddle faster around the buoy to get to the finish line!
The very last contest of the day was the Downwind Challenge, where the boat crews acted as human masts, holding out Fat Face flags to traverse down the course. They then rowed themselves around the mark and paddled back to the thunderous applause of the assembled crowd!
It came down to an exceptionally close finish with the Radials beating the Laser 4000 class by just two foot! The B14s came in fourth place but they’d done enough on land to secure their first place position overall!
Will Blair, Fat Face marketing manager, comments: “Watching the teams in driving rain, competing to the max was a sight for sore eyes and represents the phenomenal spirit that the event captured.
“We had competitors travelling from north of Glasgow to make it to the event so to call it a day because of the weather was not an option for us. At Fat Face we’re all about ‘Life is Out There’ and we truly lived up to our name!
“It wasn’t quite the Fat Face Night Sail we were expecting but it was still a phenomenal event and hopefully when we bring it back next year we’ll have the weather to make it an even more spectacular event.”
Pete Vincent, principal race officer, commented on the day: “Considering how shocking the weather was the competitors were amazing and I don’t know anyone else, bar sailors, who would rise to such a challenge in the way they did!”
Ross Boswijk from the winning B14 Class, who lives in Plymouth comments: “It’s been brilliant! We’ve been looking forward to the Fat Face event and getting the team together for some time from all over the UK. We were desperately worried about the weather but even though it was really bad we made a big team effort to get down here and it turned out to be a fantastic day!”
Mark Barnes, vice-chairman of the B14 Association, commnted: “We've had a very good day and it's been very interesting what they've come up with. I don't think anyone can walk away from a day like today and say they haven't enjoyed themselves - whether you've been participating or not. It's been just as good to watch as it has to take part.
“It's really important that companies like Fat Face get behind sports like ours and put something back into it. It gives people in the sport a window and it's a very good idea, a great concept. Everybody's smiling and we'll definitely be back next year - whatever the weather!”
The end of the day finished with a huge party at The Mount Batten Centre, complete with a band, Beats Working, who had also braved the weather to travel from Surrey to perform! A mention also to Jägermeister who helped get the party well underway, as sponsors of the Fat Face Night Series.
The message is that the Fat Face Night Sail will definitely be back next year. Thanks to the tremendous support of the guys at The Mountbatten Centre who put on such an incredibly series of events; the show truly went on!
The Fat Face Night Sail forms part of the Fat Face Night Series which includes events in skiing, surfing, wakeboarding, mountain boarding, windsurfing and mountain biking, up and down the UK. More information at www.fatface.com/nightseries
B14 Class Report: (by Mark Barnes)
It was with trepidation that the Fat Face Race Team competitors arrived at Mountbatten Sailing Centre for the first ever Fat Face Night Sail. We were greeted by driving rain and high winds. With this in mind, we were not sure what to expect. However, the resident team, Ian Williams Fat Face Events Manager and PRO Pete Vincent rose to the challenge and provided a day to remember.
With competitors from the East coast and one from Glasgow, many had traveled a long way. In reflection to the change of situation, competitors paid a greatly reduced entry and we all agreed to give it a go.
When at the briefing, we were asked to get into our sailing gear, all competitors wondered what they were in for, but all headed for the changing rooms. Then it was off to the green to let battle commence and it definitely was a case of all giving their best.
As we were to find out, the day was to turn into more of “It’s A Knockout” rather than a sailing event. In many ways this was to prove a great opportunity to build comradery between the classes, with team spirit coming to the fore in all groups.
Events were to be Tug-of-War, followed by the welly boot throwing and then sleigh obstacle course. It was then off to the water to intercept the floating balls being blown down a course with elimination series till the final. With the added rain and force 8 wind, just keeping station as well as going upwind was to prove a challenge. With this competition completed, the last competition, back to the boats with Fat Face flags and rowing/reaching down wind and paddling upwind from the turn mark to the finish. With no rules but good hearted fun, many tried different ideas but more direct approach won. In many ways this was to be the hardest as the conditions were starting to stretch the teams. However, this was to be the closest event of the day with the event winners breaking through in the last 50 m.
With pride for bragging rights between the RS 400s, Laser 4000s and B14s up for grabs, it was certain to be a full on day. However, it was the 29ers, RS 200s and Laser Radials that were to be the surprises and towards the end, the heavier teams had to keep a very close eye on them. The determination of the RS Freva team was impressive bearing in mind how small and young some of them were and the resident team’s own group showed us how to do it in some of the events.
Our personal favourites as spectators, were the Cyborg ski competition, especially the B14 guys and Freva team, followed by the funboat sailing and tug-of-war. We had all ages from young teenagers to adults in their late 40s competing in a fair and friendly manner at their best, with little quarter given. We found it to be a hard day, but great fun.
Then after the prize giving, having been refueled with hydrocarbons, sugar and fluids, it was on to the party and did we party to the sound of a great disco and band.
Winners by one point on 12 were the B14s followed by the Laser 4000s who in turn beat the Laser Radials on a tie break with both finishing on 13 points.
As an event, it was certainly pulled out of the bag and feel that it was a great success for all those participating. We just hope that Fat Face got what they wanted from the day. The B14 Fat Face Race Team will be back next year to defend the title.
Great day, great concept. One not to miss in the next year.