RS200 SEAS Open at Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

Island Barn RS200 open event winners David Jessop and Clare Michelmore © Jim Champ

Runners up Andrew and Jeraldine Peters at the Island Barn RS200 open © Jim Champ

Wall-to-wall blue sky, a warm, gentle Force 2 at the start, building to a steady Force 3 throughout the day, shifting enough to make choice of side of course important. These were the benign March conditions that could not have contrasted more with those of last year's event that was held in a snow storm.

In Race 1 David Jessop and Clare Michelmore won by a huge margin and even had time to start a fourth lap and return in a 3 lap race. 'We usually just follow the others and don't worry about the number of laps' they confessed happily at the finish. In Race 2 Mark Heather (ex World Topper champion) and sister Lucy also won by a large margin.

At lunch three boats led on 8 points apiece: SEAS supremo for 2014, Julian Bradley with Helen Cafferatia his predecessor Andrew Peters with Geraldine Peters and Dan Goodmann with Jo Lloyd from Littleton.

In Race 3 Bradley and Cafferata opened up a clear points lead with a second after a titanic struggle with James and Will Rusden from Royal Lymington who took first and in so doing put themselves into contention for the event.

This position was short-lived for the Rusden brothers who unnecessarily returned in an Individual Recall for two other boats, Island Barn's Clare James and Burghfield's Andrew Barraclough. The Rusdens did well to recover to 9th in a very competitive fleet where there were four separate race winners.

Kite Now! Third placed James and Will Rushden at the Island Barn RS200 open - photo © Jim Champ

With a discard subtracted and one race to go the points were Jessop / Michelmore 6, Peters / Peters 8, Bradley / Cafferata 10, Rusden / Rusden 12, Goodman Lloyd 13. Jessop and Michelmore had now gained the taste of leading a regatta, finished after the correct number of laps, took a first and the regatta in a close finish from their nearest rivals Peters and Peters.

Bradley and Cafferata faded in the last race to ninth, but consoled themselves with the Masters trophy. The Risden brothers took third on equal points with Goodman and Lloyd. The prize for first Island Barn boat went to Andrew Barnett and Debbie Robertshaw.

Jessop and Michelmore had better brush up on their navigation, as on this form they will be leading many more events this season.

More photos can be found here.

Overall Results: