Fat Face RS Feva Circuit at Papercourt Sailing Club

by Bill Tucker 2 May 2007 08:10 BST 22 April 2007

A bright and sunny day with a pleasant force 2-3 breeze greeted the 19 competitors for the Papercourt RS Feva Open Meeting on Sunday April 22nd.

Race officer Peter Matthews set a windward/leeward course and the first race started with all the competitors behaving themselves at the start. Peter Curtis from Island Barn, crewed by his young son James showed the youngsters the way around but in very tight racing Nathan and Anna Ackroyd, from Norfolk Broads, showed better speed downwind to take the lead but were retaken on the beats. Peter finished in first place but the Ackroyds were pipped at the line by Clare and Andrew Michelmore who stormed through the fleet from a very average start to take second place.

After the lunch, catered by the club class members, the second and third races were held back-to–back.

In Race 2 the top 6 boats had very close racing with the Ackroyds coming out on top followed by Palmer/Purdon, from Thorpe Bay, Peter and James Curtis in third place and Jamie Bolinbroke and Matt Heathcoate, from Dabchicks, in fourth place.

The final race started with all to play for at the top of the fleet. The leading 6 boats soon opened up a gap ahead of the rest of the fleet. With exceptionally close racing the leading 2 boats of the Ackroyds and Alex Poyner / Holly Tucker rounded the final windward mark and went left, Peter and James Curtis rounding in third place went right and picked up slightly more pressure to cross the line about 1 foot ahead of the Ackroyds with Alex Poyner/Holly Tucker dropping from second to third. ‘Mr Consistency’, Jamie Bolinbroke and Matt Heathcote recorded their third 4th place.

However the close racing resulted in a protest between the first two boats concerning rights while tacking and the resulting protest had Peter Curtis disqualified. This left Nathan and Anna Ackroyd series winners.

Appreciation was expressed to the series sponsors, Fat Face, for providing the first 3 prizes with the merit award going to Laurence Gibbons of Sevenoaks School.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3
1	834	Nathan Ackroyd	Anna Ackroyd	Norfolk Broads	3	1	1
2	1765	Jamie Bolingbrooke	Matt Meathcote	Dabchicks	4	4	3
3	1582	Alex Poyner	Holly Tucker	Emsworth	6	5	2
4	627	R Palmer	M Purdon	Thorpe Bay	7	2	5
5	1639	Milly Stephens	Cassie Symes	Oxford	5	6	4
6	247	Clare Michelmore	Andrew Michelmore	Papercourt	2	9	9
7	1753	James Hamer	Josh Cripps	HISC	8	7	8
8	1518	Peter Curtis	James Curtis	Island Barn	1	3	20
9	936	Hugo Jones-Warner	Hugo Tucker	CYC/Emsworth	9	13	7
10	1868	Tom Adams	Joel Bell	Burnham	10	8	11
11	1690	Jon Holmes	Charlie Esse	ESSC	13	11	6
12	9	Laurance Gibbons	Henry Forward	Sevenoaks School	11	12	11
13	PSC 20	Caroline Culwick	Lizzy Culwick	Papercourt	12	10	12
14	584	Will Barnes	Mike Friedlos	Papercourt	14	14	14
15	7	Jacob Rainbow	Peter Chinnock	Sevenoaks School	15	15	13
16	839	Libby Watkins	Abie Watkins	DSC	16	16	16
17	251	Lucy Cave	Sally Preston	Papercourt	17	17	15
18	1986	Nicolay Nilsson	Fabian Nilsson	Papercourt	18	18	17
19	8	Sam Manyweathers	Imoben Palmer	Sevenoaks School	19	19	18