Gill RS100/800 Europeans & RS200/400 Eurocup at Lake Garda Day 2

Gill RS100 European Championships

The signal to launch came at Midday and the fleet set out towards the Eastern Course with a steady force 4 Northerly 'Pela' wind. The first race of the day got underway with Michel Rotach (Swiss) leading at the windward mark closely followed by Andre Blasse & Al Hall. As the wind continued to die the race was abandoned shortly thereafter much to the relief of Huw Powell & Blasse who were then languishing some way back after finding wind holes on the course.

After a short interval a force 5 set in unexpectedly from the South as dark storm clouds approach (these are becoming the norm this week).... the race team then had to turn the course around (not an easy feat in Garda) and the race finally started. Huw Powell established an unassailable lead at the windward mark which stayed in place for the rest of the race. The early finishers were granted a result with Cotgrove just squeezing past Rotach on the line for the minor places. The rest of the fleet were counted in their positions on the course as they were out of time becalmed.

So Powell leads with two bullets, Cotgrove second, Alberto Zamo third and Hall fourth. The fleet are hoping for perhaps a better weather on Wednesday...

RS400 Eurocup

Day 2 dawned bright and the remnants of a light northerly Peler greeted the 45 teams keen for another great day's racing.

The fleet got off cleanly and the difficult choice was between the cliffs for a lift or out to get more breeze, a mix of the two with a decent right hand shift at the first windward mark seemed to be the way to go. Back on form, the Oakeys were first around the windward mark and disappeared into the horizon with a huge lead. The chasing pack were following down a one sided run meaning there were minor place changes. The breeze started to die for the second lap and the chasing pack had a great race with plenty of place changes as boats chopped from left to right up the long shifty beat looking for the breeze. Instead of gybing off down the second run Carter and Einstein hit the cliffs and a header and good breeze and ghosted all the way down and a few boats began to follow. The boats in at the cliffs were looking very good but eventually the breeze filled in from the left and carried those boats down to the line. The "2 crews", Bedborough and Brown clinched a last minute second from David Rose and Ian Hefferman (who had made the long crusade from Cork), followed by Carter from the left, and the Metcalfes, Gorringe and the evergreen Robertsons in that order.

In true Garda fashion the wind then shutoff completely, and then flicked Ora-like through 180 degrees and steadily increased to F4-5 accompanied by a little rain. After much fast-pin adjusting and a very efficient course reset, a clean start and the fleet split up the first beat more or less evenly with boats either sailing off the biased port end or tacking straight off the committee boat and heading for the cliffs. After much close tacking up the cliffs, the boats who came out early did well but the ones who held on ended up overshooting the windward mark. In the end the boats that went left were the ones that gained and first around was Gorringe, then "back on form" Howie Farbrother / Desperate Dan followed by Elaine Turner / Sijbrand Jimjams and the Robertsons. Turner and the Robertsons gybed early to overtake Howie / Gorringe and the Robertsons led up the second beat until the breeze began to die off. Gorringe then regained the lead and went into the last run in 1st, only to lose it again more or less on the line as the Robertsons found a magic puff to plane past for the bullet. Howie secured third with the Oakey's sneaking into a significant 4th and Turner hanging on for 5th. Very close tight competitive racing right down the fleet with lots of places to be won in the shifty conditions, and even small mistakes being punished with several places lost.

So that's the sailing bit, but much more importantly we already have a few Duckhams nominations:

1. The Robertsons (yet again) faced transport and logistical challenges achieving the drive from Edinburgh to Riva with only one side light and no indicators on either car or trailer
2. Simon Grey receives a nomination for shouting at his crew when the kite jammed –only to find he'd left all his kids lifejackets stored under the foredeck
3. Dave Hardcore and his tent. He pitched in a hurry, hit the pub in a hurry, came back several hours later in less of a hurry only to discover the inner tent was back to front and he couldn't figure out why his tent door had disappeared.
4. A quote was overheard in a thick Irish accent as the breeze disappeared and the rain was lashing down, "this wasn't in the Garda brochure"...

With an 11am start setup for Wednesday and the aim to get 3 races in the fleet hopes for an end to the rain and a return to classic Garda conditions ! On the social and family front we have daily kiddies movie nights, Ladies night, Australian night, Scottish night and several RS parties all to squeeze in. It's not all about the sailing!

Gill RS800 European Championships

After a night of thunderstorms that trapped many people in the Occa bar until later than originally planned, the RS800's emptied their boats of water and tried to dry sailing kit before heading out for three planned races. Chat in the boat park was of no chance of getting any races in and definitely no Ora. But the race committee were keen to get out there and race in the fading northerly. After two failed attempts to get away and the first appearance of the black flag during this regatta, the fleet got away in a rapidly dying breeze with Tom Halhead and Stuart Jagger leading the fleet to the pretty blue and white flag that awaited us at the windward mark - take two...

Thinking that was it for the day, the majority of the fleet kept pointing at the sailing club. Much to everyones surprise, the wind swung 180 degrees and came in at upwards of 20 knots. After much hanging around and waiting for the course to be completely reset, no small challenge in a lake that is 400m deep, we got away at the first attempt after the race officer started proceedings with the naughty flag.

By the time the race started the wind was starting to drop, but the fleet headed up the first beat in 15 knots with the committee boat initially being the favoured end, but a 40 degree shift soon put an end to that with Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn leading out the cliffs on the left. In close contention were Joel Walker and Sarah Crosman who rounded second followed by Dave and Louise Steed, Andy and Allyson Jeffries, and Luke and Emma McEwen.

With the wind continuing to track left, the race became a bit of a one dimensional affair, but with some shifts and changes in pressure still to be taken advantage of. James Date and Toby Wincer found some channels down the run to put themselves amongst the leaders, working their way into 3rd by the next top mark. Saxton and Littlejohn were by this point on the horizon in a rapidly dying breeze with crews in the playpen at the front, with team Steed in hot pursuit, Date and Wincer chased closed the gap to Dave and Louise on the run before a nip and tuck beat to the shortened course at the next windward mark. Saxton and Littlejohn took the bullet with Dave and Louise taking an excellent second, followed by Date and Wincer. Walker and Crossman held on to take 4th, with Luke and Emma completing the top 5.

With the wind now at virtually zero, the fleet were pleased to see AP over H flying and permission to proceed to the bar and after racing pasta. Three more races planned tomorrow with the event now truly in catch up mode, more thunderstorms forecast tomorrow, but things looking more hopeful for Thursday and Friday.

Results from all classes can be found at on the Fraglia Vela Riva website.