RS100 Eurocup at St Raphael, France - Day 2
by Golly Tucker 26 Sep 2010 20:37 BST
25-27 September 2010
Accepted that most of the fleet have travelled some way south for this regatta, but it seems today's sailing really is as good as it gets! Another 4 glamourous races in 10-12 knots, crystal clear skies and great competition.
Race 1 was the shiftiest of the four and saw some rapid place changing: Nick Peters (GBR) lead at the top mark from Nico Honor (FRA), and Mark Harrison (GBR). It was all about choosing the right mark of the bottom gate as 5-6 boats arrived together. Harrison who should have lead chose the wrong one as the fleet all converged, and Peters and Honor popped out clear again. Peters stretched his lead for the remainder, and Honor held on as the pack lead by Harrison, Marc Figueras (ESP) and RS' own Demo Dave, pushed hard.
Race 2 followed form - Peters got away, Harrison making life difficult for himself by being pushed over at the start, was fighting back, but Demo Dave - lets call him Charlie Merchant (GBR), pushed Peters all the way, finding some Nationals form again. Harrison lead a massive pack for 3rd, in what had to have needed a photo to split them, with Vince Hayter (GBR), Sam Vaughan (GBR) and Figueras (ESP) being the best of the bunch.
In what is a rapidly improving fleet, Harrison just cleared the top mark ahead but the following gaggle included Chris Kirk (GBR), Vince Hayter, Michiel Geerling (NED), Richard Rot (Ned), and the ever consistent Marc Figueras (ESP). Harrison was pushed but never headed, and Peters recovering from a poor first beat, pulled 4-5 places on the last run to just pip Hayter (GBR) on the line, with Figueras (ESP) just a couple of boat lengths back.
The fleet got away 2nd time after a general recall, in increasing wind: Peters squeezed round first followed by Harrison and was never headed. Honor (FRA) was back on form and came through to 3rd, causing entertainment as a posing gybe for a camera left him capsized rapidly drifting back across the line. No one knows how he got away with it, but apparently he was seen buying the race officer a bottle of wine a few minutes ago!
So after 2 days and six races, Peters leads from Harrison and Honor with Vaughan, Merchant and Figueras is close attendance. The 10.2 / 8.4 question continues, but increasingly it looks as though the differences are minimal, at least on current evidence. With a 30kg variance in the top 5 the two sail sizes appear to provide a uniquely wide competitive weight band.
Signing off now as the fleet has been invited to really look the Cote D'Azur part, courtesy of competitor Michael Wilson, and partake in the evenings festivities on an Azimut 68. Not to be missed!
Results after Day 2: (6 races, 1 discard)
1: Nick Peters (Grande-Bretagne) 6pts
2: Mark Harrison (Grande-Bretagne) 10pts
3: Nicolas Honor (S R de Creil) 18pts
4: Sam Vaughan (Grande-Bretagne) 20pts
5: Dave Demo (Grande-Bretagne) 22pts
6: Marc Figueras (Espagne) 25pts
7: Hayter Vince (Grande-Bretagne) 26pts
8: Christopher Kirk (Grande-Bretagne) 42pts
9: Michiel Geerling (Hollande) 44pts
10: Richard Rot (Hollande) 45pts
11: Lars Holm (Danemark) 48pts
12: Michael Wilson (Grande-Bretagne) 58pts
13: Jon Partridge (Grande-Bretagne) 58pts
14: Miroslav Horak (Repub.Tcheque) 72pts
15: Jordi Blanc (Espagne) 76pts
16: Lars Wegner (Allemagne) 77pts
17: Hilde Susante (Hollande) 81pts
18: Tony Jukes (Grande-Bretagne) 81pts
19: Chris Jones (Grande-Bretagne) 85pts
--: Paolo Pasquini (Italie) 105pts