Fat Face RS300 Open at Burghfield Sailing Club

Action from the RS300 open at Burghfield © RS Class Association

Despite the forecast light winds a determined band of RS300 gathered at Burghfield Sailing Club on Saturday 11 June to be faced with a wind which was only constant in its fickleness. A number of new faces were making their first appearance on the 300 circuit, while the event also saw the return of Graham Cooper, showing of his new B Rig after brief flirtations with the RS Vareo and 600. Despite some close racing it was Burghfield’s resident 300 maestro, Brian Powell, who managed to display consistency and determination to win every race.

The first race began in a Force 1, or perhaps less, with Powell gliding away in first place on starboard tack, and the rest of the fleet following. Matt Sargent, who had tacked away at the Committee boat end was lucky to escape from the lull which engulfed him and rejoin the fleet as the breeze swung left, to make the windward mark almost a fetch. A brief lull followed by small gusts (passing lorries on the M4?) allowed Powell, Graham Cooper and Barry Steel to escape from the chasing pack led by Sargent. Positions stayed that way until Sargent gradually wound in first Steel and then Cooper, with the latter pair closing to within 3 or 4 meters of Powell before he again escaped, to win by eight minutes. Cooper held on to third despite doing turns after bearing away into Sargent.

Race 2 saw a new course, starting at the top of the lake under the motorway. Sargent tucked up underneath Powell on the line in the hope of making an escape while he stalled, but it was a Powell-Sargent 1-2 at the windward mark again. Andy Gould had a great race in third place, and was nearly able to capitalise on the intense tacking duel ahead of him on the second beat. Capitalise he did when Sargent failed to react quickly enough to a gust on the run, and ended up with a very muddy masthead. However Sargent positions were reversed on the last reach. Graham Cooper took fourth.

In Race 3 the Race officer had set a port biased line, and the stage was set for one of the famous Barry Steel port flyers. He was denied when Sargent and Powell took the pin on starboard, and normal service was resumed, despite a bizarre shift which saw Powell completely becalmed as Sargent sailed by – same direction, but on both tacks! It finished Powell, Sargent, and then Steel, who snatched third, and a moment of glory, from Phil Underwood. This was enough to confirm that order overall. However mention must be made of Graham Cooper’s form with his B-rig, and some excellent improvement from Andy Gould who won the Fat Face Merit Prize.

Overall Results: