Volvo Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Day 4

On Saturday the 400 fleet had wind. Sometimes when the breeze gets up and kicks against the tide it's easy to imagine that the big guns at the front are enjoying flawless manoeuvres and seamless mark roundings. It's also easy to convince yourself that fit young crews also have the upper hand.

But as the breeze arrived for Day 4 of the Nationals this was anything but the case. Of the three races that were run, the first was in around 15 knots of breeze. Nothing special perhaps, but when you add in a knot or two of tide, a sea state that felt more like a set of dwarf walls than a race course and the remnants of yet another fun night ashore, there was plenty of scope to trip up.

Volvo Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island - photo © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

So while the top dogs, including the Oakeys and John Heissig and Nicky Griffin smoked off the front of the fleet, their 'moments' were to come at the end of Saturday's opening race. In fact the last gybe of the last leg. As John and Nicky carved into the final gybe they managed to spear their bowsprit into a wave causing a full on big boat style broach. Apparently, according to John, they only avoided a capsize because Nicky had already bagged her position on the centreboard. Meanwhile, the Oakeys were feeling punchy and threw in a last minute gybe to try to get inside John and Nicky. "I'm not sure we actually gybed," admitted Paul afterwards. What was clear though was that a couple of seconds later they were in the drink. From superstars to swimmers at a crucial stage of the race, such tales give the rest of us hope. But so too does the fact that Rob and Nick Martin who have a combined age sufficient to challenge the good Lord himself, tucked in what Rob described as a 'slow and untidy gybe' at the same point to see them overtake the car crash hot heads and win the race. "It was a race for old men," he said, grinning from ear to ear. There were other rock stars who came ashore a touch sheepish. Ben and Sarah Robertson went for a dunk after a gybe that went spectacularly wrong giving others further back in the fleet the opportunity to line up against them for a few minutes before they smoked off into the distance.

Volvo Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island - photo © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

The second race saw the breeze increase and another two course of bricks added to the wall like sea state while the downhill slides were superb. But there were still some trip ups at the front. Most costly was John and Nicky heading to the finish one lap early which allowed the Oakeys through to another win. No doubt incensed by their mistake, John and Nicky returned the favour winning the final race while the Oakeys came third.

All of which has not only re-shuffled the leaderboard, but has put a bit more pressure on the Oakeys who are now just eight points ahead of new second place holders John and Nicky. Dave Exley and Martin Lunn are currently in third. It's curry night tonight and tomorrow's forecast is for more wind once again. You can read that how you like.

Results after Day 4: