RS200 National Circuit at Pwllheli Sailing Club

RS200s at Pwllheli © Andy Green / www.fotoboat.com

RS200s at Pwllheli © Andy Green / www.fotoboat.com

Only 13 boats arrived at Pwllheli Sailing Club for the 3rd National Circuit Event. The turn out from the Northern boats in their local National Circuit event was very poor. The boats that chose not to come made a mistake however with a 20 knot southerly for the first race we had some excellent racing.

The first race got away in some big rolling swell. James Boyce and Sam Tozer were leading round the top mark closely followed by David and Jane Hivey (sailing for www.sailingtogs.com). These two pulled away from the fleet and had an excellent race, switching positions until Boyce decided to practice a little breast stroke by the bottom mark. Sailingtogs pulled away to what would have been a comfortable victory if they had not done an extra lap. Luckily for them Boyce decided to sail for a bit longer as well along with most of the fleet. Toby Ashton sailing with Rachel Ashton were the first boats to use their brains and sailed to an easy win, followed by Chris Martin/Katherine Lovering and Dave Steed/Sarah Hornby. A fifth and sixth respectively for Sailingtogs and Boyce/Tozer wasn’t bad seeing as they sailed a lap more (good job most people are sheep!).

In the second race the breeze had dropped to 15knts but the waves remained leaving some brilliant downwind action where surfing the waves could gain you 50-100m to leeward. Certainly a race for the crews to send the boats down the waves. Sailingtogs and Boyce/Tozer made the jump on the fleet early on and again had a tight race at the front. Ian Sharps/Ellie Martin finished in a comfortable third. Down the final run Boyce pulled ahead and were leading coming into the layline. Hivey however threw in a cheap tactic to gain the lead and headed up 20 degrees to make it seem like he couldn’t make the mark. Boyce fell for it and sailed well past the layline, giving Sailingtogs the victory.

The third race was similar to the second with a progressive right shift up each beat and 15knts into a steep swell. Again Sailingtogs and Boyce/Tozer rounded just ahead of the rest and extended to finish in that order. Behind Sharps/Martin sailed consistently to gain another third place. Shame they had rigged the kite wrong in the first race hey!!!.

Overnight Sailingtogs lead from Boyce/Tozer with Martin/Lovering in third. Toby and Rachel Ashton also had a good day, leading the silver fleet and placed 4th overall. In the evening the sailors were treated to a curry from the club and a debrief with David Hivey. Questions on gibing in breeze and upwind technique (and strangely the reversal of the earth’s magnetic field and time dilation!!) were discussed.

Sunday dawned with bright blue skies 15 knots and a wind direction almost 180 degrees different to the Saturday. This provided flat water but very shifty and gusty conditions. The key was to stay in the pressure as much as possible. Sailingtogs continued where they left off on the Saturday and won all three of the days races.

In the first race of the day. Matt and Emma Jenkins recovered from a dose of sea sickness the previous day to finish second. The Jenkins and Sailingtogs sailed into a huge gust on he first run and extended from the fleet. Boyce/Tozer finished in third.

In the second race Boyce/Tozer rounded the first mark in the lead but couldn’t hold onto this down the run, with sailingtogs again finding the pressure to take the lead. Chris Martin/Katherine Lovering continued their consistent weekend finishing third.

The last race was started in a dying breeze where the boats were only marginally planing downwind. Boyce and Sailngtogs started left of the fleet, a huge mistake when a 30 degree right shift came in leaving these two rounding min fleet. Martin/Lovering rounded in first, closely followed by Ian Sharps and Ellie Martin. Down the first run Sailngtogs again showed their pace to catch up to the leaders. At the leeward mark Martin’s kite wouldn’t come down and Sailingtogs’ helm (Dave) managed to fall flat on is back mid gybe, somehow they stayed upright and this left Sailngtogs and Sharps/Martin up front. These two pulled away from the fleet and had a close battle to the finish with Sailingtogs just coming out on top at the finish. Martin/Lovering finished third.

Over all Sailingtogs were comfortable winners from Boyce/Tozer with Martin/Lovering in third. The Silver fleet was won by Toby and Rachel Ashton.

A huge thank you has to go to Pwhelli Sailng club for laying out an excellent event, and the PRO Mr Date who did an excellent Job. It is just a shame we couldn’t send more boats. Everyone else missed out.

Overall Results: