Gul RS400 Grand Prix at Arun Yacht Club
by Mike Sims 11 Jun 2010 09:37 BST
5-6 June 2010
19 RS400s enjoyed two days of glorious sailing for the 4th round of the Gul Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend of 4/5th June. On Saturday, with a light breze from the east the race officier did a very efficient job running 3 good lengh races.
Michael Sims and Andrew George lead after the first day after winning the first two races and finishing 3rd in race 3. 2nd was Howard Farbrother and Nathan Pinch counting a 2nd, 4th and 1st and 3rd was Bill and Lynda Handley.
On Sunday after a slightly damp start to the day the fleet arrived at the racing area in perfect sailing conditions with the breeze already a steady 10 knots and building which made for some extremely fast downwind sailing.
In the first race of the day it was Sims and George who again took the win after very tight racing with James George and Simon Kinsey and Farbrother and Pinch. Farbrother and Pinch were 2nd with James George and Simon Kinsey taking 3rd on the water although were later found to be OCS at the start.
Race 2 was again won by Sims and George although they certainly did not have things their own way with Farbrother and Pinch leading for the majority of the race. After a 3 lap battle Sims and George finally snatched the lead from Farbrother and Pinch as they took a swim downwind. Had the pair then learnt how to count at school the win looked secure until they sailed to the finish one lap early with sereral of the chasing boats following. Farbrother and Pinch benefiting from this mistake managed to re-take the lead upwind before Sims and George did just enough on the 2nd half of the beat to round the windward mark for the last time in the lead and maintained this to the finish.
From the chasing pack it was George and Kinsey who lost the most places from their equally poor ability to count with Nick Simmons and Lou Hosken benefiting to take 3rd.
With the wind continuing to build the race officier decided to take the fleet ashore. Sims and George took the overall win from Farbrother and Pinch with Simmons and Hosken 3rd. 1st silver fleet going to local sailors Dick and Jack Holden.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1328 | Michael Sims | Andrew George | Carsington SC | 1 | 1 | -3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2nd | 1251 | Howard Farbrother | Nathan Pinch | QMSC | 2 | -4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 3rd | 1134 | Nick Simmonds | Louise Hosken | Lymington | -9 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
| 4th | 1351 | Ian Robson | Sandy Johnson | Aldeburgh SC | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | -7 | 19 |
| 5th | 1353 | Bill Handley | Lynda Hanley | Restronguet SC | 3 | 3 | -9 | 6 | 8 | 20 |
| 6th | 1139 | James George | Simon Linsey | QMSC | 10 | 2 | 4 | (OCS) | 5 | 21 |
| 7th | 428 | Dick Holden | Jack Holden | Arun YC | 4 | 6 | 6 | (OCS) | 6 | 22 |
| 8th | 1226 | Jason Kirk | Scott Dawson | Chichester YC | 6 | 8 | -11 | 7 | 4 | 25 |
| 9th | 1051 | Andy Hatch | Alex Park | QMSC | 8 | -11 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 29 |
| 10th | 615 | Graeme Willcox | Tiffany Willcox | Netley SC | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | (DNF) | 34 |
| 11th | 744 | Fiona Lewis | Iain Lewis | QMSC | 12 | -14 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 43 |
| 12th | 1123 | Ivan Burden | Eve Trojan | Porchester SC | -14 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 44 |
| 13th | 1311 | David Robinson | Nicola Hortin | Arun YC | 13 | 12 | -14 | 9 | 14 | 48 |
| 14th | 947 | Brian Beavis | David Beavis | Porchester | 11 | 10 | 12 | (DNF) | DNC | 53 |
| 15th | 790 | Steve Leach | Martin Keen | Arun YC | -17 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 56 |
| 16th | 779 | James Bottoms | Anne Hulbert | Tudor SC | -15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 56 |
| 17th | 453 | Simon Palmer | Sue Flewett | Locks SC | 18 | 18 | 17 | 13 | (DNF) | 66 |
| 18th | 1213 | Nick Zammet Jnr | Nick Zammet Snr | Langstone SC | 16 | 17 | (DNF) | DNS | DNC | 73 |
| 19th | 431 | Heidi Clevett | Henry Durman | Arun YC | 19 | 19 | 18 | (DNF) | DNC | 76 |
