RS200 Open at Weir Wood Sailing Club

Weir Wood held its annual RS 200 open on Sunday 11th. 2010. The gods have smiled on this particular event for the several years running now, but this year they positively beamed. The weather was unbroken sunshine, temperatures in the high twenties and a steadily building south westerly breeze that by the afternoon was gusting up to 18 knots.

Having tried hard to advertise the event it was very gratifying to have an entry of 24 which included 9 home boats.

Principal race officers Ernie Hatton and Peter Clifton were able to set Windward/Leeward courses for the scheduled four races which included a leeward gate. The races were timed to run approximately an hour for the leading boat.

Race one was away promptly at 11.00 am with a slight committee boat bias to the line. The breeze was the lightest of the day at about 8 knots and there were some considerable variations in direction as the small gusts blew through. First around the windward buoy were David Giles and Verity Hopkins from WWSC. When Giles mistook the outer distance buoy for the leeward mark and dropped his spinnaker several other competitors took advantage. In particular Steve Restall and Judy Restall from Downs sailing club and Hector and Ben Cisneros from Burghfield sailing club. Restall built up a comfortable lead over Cisneros in second while several others scrapped it out for third. In the end Giles just pipped Mike Chapman and Sheridan Killwick from Bexhill on the finish line to claim third.

Race two again got away cleanly first time. The bias had moved to the pin end of the line as the south westerly breeze gradually built and generally swung a little more southerly. Juliet Charles and Alice Kingsnorth from BVSC had the best start and rounded just ahead of Cisneros and Restall. The girls more that held their own during the longest race of the day and although pushed constantly by Restall and Cisneros held on for a narrow victory.

At lunch the overall placings were delicately poised. Restall held a narrow lead form Cisneros with Charles only a short way behind. Giles only had an outside chance having recorded a 12th in the second race.

The third race was again a clean start from a start line that was becoming increasingly more pin end bias. Giles now sailing with Fiona Clark, who had been representing England in a 10km run in the morning, was the first boat able to tack onto port after the gun to take advantage of a large port tack shift which almost allowed the fleet to reach the windward mark in one. Showing good boat speed down wind but poor tactical judgment Giles choose the left leeward gate mark while most of the other competitors choose the more favoured right leeward gate mark. Restall took the lead followed by Cisneros, Charles and John Ramshaw and Mark Harrington from WWSC. Restall rounded the second windward buoy first while Cisneros and Ramshaw had a coming together resulting in penalty turns for Cisneros which allowed Giles through to second. On the last downwind leg Giles just managed to get to leeward of Restall and sail him past the lay line for the leeward buoy. Rounding in the lead Giles hung on to the finish followed by Restall, Charles and Ramshaw.

Going into the last race four boats could still win. Restall held the advantage with a 1, 2 and 3, Charles was second with 1, 3 and 6 with Cisneros third with 2,2 and 7. Giles sill had and outside chance with 1, 3 and 12 but had to win the last race.

With the wind gusting up to 18 kts it was going to be an exciting last race. The line was again pin bias and Restall got away most cleanly tacking onto port as soon as possible. In the end those that held on to starboard a little longer gained most with Charles and Cisneros rounding at the same time in the lead. Large gains were to made downwind now by being first into the squally gusts that regularly came through the race course. Giles made gains after a poor start to round the leeward mark 4th behind Restall, Charles and Cisneros. Giles pulled through to second upwind but could find no way through Restall. On the final downwind leg Giles found a particularly good gust on the left of the course and eased ahead of Restall who had gone more right. It finished Giles, Restall, Cisneros and Charles giving Giles overall victory on the count back system for breaking a tie.

As ever with our elite race team the results were ready soon after the racing was finished, particular thanks for this must go to Barbara Hatton who ran the entry/results side of the day. A complete set of results is published below. Out side the top three spot prises were awarded for first master (Mike Chapman), first youth (Matthew Giles), endurance award for the lowest placed boat having completed all four races (Dan Hawkins) and the duckhams award for the biggest bloomer of the day (Greg Caldwell). Greg was in line to win the endurance award but with just a little way to go in the fourth race retired and so became ineligible to receive it.

Overall Results: