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RS Aero UK Winter Championship at The Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club

by Tim Hire 21 Feb 2019 12:15 GMT 16 February 2019
RS Aero UK Winter Championship © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Whilst pleasantly spring like the weather for the 2019 edition of The Oxford Blue was challenging, with lightish winds for the sixth edition.

The Oxford Blue played host to both the finale of the Selden SailJuice series, but also to the RS Aero UK Winter Championship with RS Aero race results extracted. A whopping 48 of the 160 boats entered were RS Aeros, a third of the entries, giving the three RS Aero Classes their own start.

Race one set the precedent, with inconsistent gusts and shifts being the challenge of the day. As the first race started, the wind was very light. First to the windward mark was Mark Addison in an RS Aero 9 followed the RS Aero 7 of Charlie Roome in his first RS Aero race! The first RS Aero 5, a little way behind, was Jonathan Bailey. The lead RS Aero 9 of Gareth Griffiths was first to cross the line. It was Chris Hatton in a RS Aero 7, who had a great first race taking the RS Aero win on handicap and an impressive third overall after not the best of starts. Jonathan Bailey was the first RS Aero 5.

By Race two the wind had picked up a bit, although it was no less shifty! Richard Pye led around the windward mark followed by Tim Hire and Chris Larr who went on to cross the line first in his RS Aero 9, with the rest of the pack chasing closely. In the RS Aero 5 race Emily Davis was first around the windward mark followed by Lucy Greenwood and Ben Poe. Peter Barton made huge gains over on the right on the last beat, making up several places to catch the lead 7s who were now Charlie Sansom and Tim Hire, before effecting the overtaking manoeuvre on the final downwind to take a well-deserved win on handicap. Charlie and Tim were declared a dead heat as they crossed the line. Lucy Greenwood had an excellent race finishing first RS Aero 5 and eighth equal RS Aero on handicap.

Race three was delayed slightly while the race committee speedily rotated the course. First to the windward mark was Mark Addison in the RS Aero 9 followed by Charlie Roome and Nick Neve in their RS Aero 7s, all charging in from the left. In the RS Aero 5 race, Josie Meredith was first to the windward mark followed by Theodore Deverell and Maisie Bristow. The wind picked up right at the end of the race, allowing those behind to make gains on the leaders on the downwind, producing a tense finale right up to the gun. Gareth Griffiths crossed the line first in the RS Aero 9. Tim Hire managed to hold off Peter Barton for the RS Aero 7 and RS Aero handicap win, with Mark Riddington right behind. Theodore Deverell finished first RS Aero 5 and 21st RS Aero on handicap.

It was great to see so many RS Aero 5s out, the second largest fleet at the event after the RS Aero 7s! It made for great Class racing as a fleet within the main event, with a variety of people showing at the front of the fleet including Alice Lucy who took third RS Aero 5 in Race 1, her first ever championship top three finish. Lucy Greenwood showed that consistency was key and took the RS Aero 5 win and Top RS Aero Lady when the results were extracted from the rest of the fleet.

The RS Aeros, in general, placed very well in the overall results for the whole event, with five RS Aeros squeezing into the top 12, the first time we have achieved this in five years - we must be getting faster! After three races, Peter Barton came out on top in the RS Aero7s in sixth overall by half a point to Tim Hire (Top Youth). Chris Hatton was third RS Aero in the Oxford Blue in 9th overall but after the RS Aero results were extracted from the rest of the fleet, Mark Riddington managed to slip past Chris to take third. First RS Aero 9 and Top Master was Gareth Griffiths in 15th overall.

Top Youth Lady was Caitlin Atkin from Whitstable SC in her RS Aero 7.

Thanks to SailJuice, SailRacer and Selden for an excellent Selden SailJuice Series and to Oxford SC for being wonderful hosts, running a fantastic day's racing.

The Prize Giving for the RS Aero UK Winter Champs will take place at the RS Aero UK Spring Champs at Island Barn RSC on Saturday 27th April. The last two events on the RS Aero UK Winter Series are the Frensham Frenzy on Sunday 10th March and the Starcross Steamer on Saturday 16th March.

Overall Results:

PosSailHelmClubClassGL PYCatR1R2R3Pts
1st2810Peter BARTONLymington Town SCRS Aero 71073 ‑16123
2nd2439Tim HIRERoyal Lymington YCRS Aero 71073Y‑82.513.5
3rd2553Mark RIDDINGTONEmsworth Slipper SCRS Aero 71073 3‑536
4th1590Chris HATTONBowmoor SCRS Aero 71073Y1‑667
5th1068Charlie SANSOMBowmoor SC/UPSPCRS Aero 71073 ‑62.557.5
6th2148Gareth GRIFFITHSIsland Barn Res SCRS Aero 91024M2‑111012
7th2098Pierce SEWARDBroadstairs SCRS Aero 71073 48.5‑1312.5
8th2502Peter CHAPLINBurghfield SCRS Aero 71073M13‑25417
9th2572Andy HILLWarsash SCRS Aero 71073 710‑2217
10th1020Richard PYEDraycote Water SCRS Aero 71073 ‑1941418
11th1888Chris LARRNorthampton SCRS Aero 91024 ‑1471219
12th2792John WARBURTONChewValley Lake SCRS Aero 71073 11‑17819
13th2427Nigel ROLFEBurghfield SCRS Aero 71073 ‑2013720
14th2188Mark ADDISONUpper Thames SCRS Aero 91024 5‑241621
15th2543Steve NORBURYWarsash SCRS Aero 71073 912‑1821
16th2806Charlie ROOMERYARS Aero 71073 10‑161525
17th1232Tim NORRISWarsash SCRS Aero 71073 ‑15141125
18th2582Nick NEVERutland SCRS Aero 71073M‑2120929
19th2126Graham ILESBurghfield SCRS Aero 71073 1221‑2533
20th2420Nigel DAVIESDraycote Water SCRS Aero 71073 ‑28181735
21st1685Lucy GREENWOODOxford SCRS Aero 51129L298.5‑3637.5
22nd2550Chris JONESSutton Bingham SCRS Aero 71073M18‑2319.537.5
23rd2808Richard KENNEDYEmsworth Slipper SCRS Aero 71073 ‑23152338
24th1739David CHERRILLBroadwater SCRS Aero 71073 2219‑2441
25th1568Caitlin ATKINWhitstable SCRS Aero 71073Y L‑312219.541.5
26th2672Will GIFFORDWhitefriars SCRS Aero 71073 17‑322946
27th2717Chris HARRUPBurghfield SCRS Aero 71073 24‑292751
28th2442Jonathan BAILEYGrafham SCRS Aero 51129Y2527‑2852
29th1336Joe GALLIVANLymington Town SCRS Aero 71073 2626‑3152
30th2317Theodore DEVERELLHunts SCRS Aero 51129Y32‑422153
31st2643John BANBROOKBowmoor SCRS Aero 71073 27‑282653
32nd2204Alan MARKHAMUpper Thames SCRS Aero 71073 ‑33313263
33rd1964Alice LUCYRutland SCRS Aero 51129Y L3034‑3864
34th2141Steve SHARPSeafarers SCRS Aero 71073M‑36333366
35th2552SammyISAACS‑JNSNMaidenhead SCRS Aero 51129 38‑433068
36th2073Tim SEWARDBroadstairs SCRS Aero 91024 35‑373469
37th2724Josie MEREDITHPapercourt SCRS Aero 51107Y L3435‑4169
38th1107Ben POEOxford SCRS Aero 51129 (DNC)304070
39th1702Bruce MACDONALDDorchester SCRS Aero 71073 3736‑4473
40th2429Robin CAIGERBough Beech SCRS Aero 71073 39‑413776
41st2708Maisie BRISTOWIsland Barn Res SCRS Aero 51129Y L40.5‑443979.5
42nd1809Iona WILLOWSDorchester SCRS Aero 51129Y L45‑463580
43rd2039Karl MORLEYBurton SCRS Aero 71073 ‑43394281
44th1301Emily DAVISGreat Moor SCRS Aero 51129L4438‑4582
45th2223Mark FOXStokes Bay SCRS Aero 91024M4240‑4382
46th2807Michael SEALEYButte SC RS Aero 71073 40.545‑4685.5
47th1773RosemaryDILLWORTHBowmoor SCRS Aero 51129L(DNC)DNCDNC98
47th1298Richard WATSHAMStarcross YC / RNSARS Aero 91024 (DNC)DNCDNC98

Find details of the full RS Aero UK events list here. keep in touch with class activity through the RS Aero Class facebook group here.

Click here for the Oxford Blue overall results

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