RS Aero UK Winter Championship at The Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club
by Tim Hire 21 Feb 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:
| Pos | Sail | Helm | Club | Class | GL PY | Cat | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 2810 | Peter BARTON | Lymington Town SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑16 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2nd | 2439 | Tim HIRE | Royal Lymington YC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | Y | ‑8 | 2.5 | 1 | 3.5 |
| 3rd | 2553 | Mark RIDDINGTON | Emsworth Slipper SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 3 | ‑5 | 3 | 6 |
| 4th | 1590 | Chris HATTON | Bowmoor SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | Y | 1 | ‑6 | 6 | 7 |
| 5th | 1068 | Charlie SANSOM | Bowmoor SC/UPSPC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑6 | 2.5 | 5 | 7.5 |
| 6th | 2148 | Gareth GRIFFITHS | Island Barn Res SC | RS Aero 9 | 1024 | M | 2 | ‑11 | 10 | 12 |
| 7th | 2098 | Pierce SEWARD | Broadstairs SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 4 | 8.5 | ‑13 | 12.5 |
| 8th | 2502 | Peter CHAPLIN | Burghfield SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | M | 13 | ‑25 | 4 | 17 |
| 9th | 2572 | Andy HILL | Warsash SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 7 | 10 | ‑22 | 17 |
| 10th | 1020 | Richard PYE | Draycote Water SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑19 | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| 11th | 1888 | Chris LARR | Northampton SC | RS Aero 9 | 1024 | | ‑14 | 7 | 12 | 19 |
| 12th | 2792 | John WARBURTON | ChewValley Lake SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 11 | ‑17 | 8 | 19 |
| 13th | 2427 | Nigel ROLFE | Burghfield SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑20 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| 14th | 2188 | Mark ADDISON | Upper Thames SC | RS Aero 9 | 1024 | | 5 | ‑24 | 16 | 21 |
| 15th | 2543 | Steve NORBURY | Warsash SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 9 | 12 | ‑18 | 21 |
| 16th | 2806 | Charlie ROOME | RYA | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 10 | ‑16 | 15 | 25 |
| 17th | 1232 | Tim NORRIS | Warsash SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑15 | 14 | 11 | 25 |
| 18th | 2582 | Nick NEVE | Rutland SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | M | ‑21 | 20 | 9 | 29 |
| 19th | 2126 | Graham ILES | Burghfield SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 12 | 21 | ‑25 | 33 |
| 20th | 2420 | Nigel DAVIES | Draycote Water SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑28 | 18 | 17 | 35 |
| 21st | 1685 | Lucy GREENWOOD | Oxford SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | L | 29 | 8.5 | ‑36 | 37.5 |
| 22nd | 2550 | Chris JONES | Sutton Bingham SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | M | 18 | ‑23 | 19.5 | 37.5 |
| 23rd | 2808 | Richard KENNEDY | Emsworth Slipper SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑23 | 15 | 23 | 38 |
| 24th | 1739 | David CHERRILL | Broadwater SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 22 | 19 | ‑24 | 41 |
| 25th | 1568 | Caitlin ATKIN | Whitstable SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | Y L | ‑31 | 22 | 19.5 | 41.5 |
| 26th | 2672 | Will GIFFORD | Whitefriars SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 17 | ‑32 | 29 | 46 |
| 27th | 2717 | Chris HARRUP | Burghfield SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 24 | ‑29 | 27 | 51 |
| 28th | 2442 | Jonathan BAILEY | Grafham SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | Y | 25 | 27 | ‑28 | 52 |
| 29th | 1336 | Joe GALLIVAN | Lymington Town SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 26 | 26 | ‑31 | 52 |
| 30th | 2317 | Theodore DEVERELL | Hunts SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | Y | 32 | ‑42 | 21 | 53 |
| 31st | 2643 | John BANBROOK | Bowmoor SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 27 | ‑28 | 26 | 53 |
| 32nd | 2204 | Alan MARKHAM | Upper Thames SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑33 | 31 | 32 | 63 |
| 33rd | 1964 | Alice LUCY | Rutland SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | Y L | 30 | 34 | ‑38 | 64 |
| 34th | 2141 | Steve SHARP | Seafarers SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | M | ‑36 | 33 | 33 | 66 |
| 35th | 2552 | SammyISAACS‑JNSN | Maidenhead SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | | 38 | ‑43 | 30 | 68 |
| 36th | 2073 | Tim SEWARD | Broadstairs SC | RS Aero 9 | 1024 | | 35 | ‑37 | 34 | 69 |
| 37th | 2724 | Josie MEREDITH | Papercourt SC | RS Aero 5 | 1107 | Y L | 34 | 35 | ‑41 | 69 |
| 38th | 1107 | Ben POE | Oxford SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | | (DNC) | 30 | 40 | 70 |
| 39th | 1702 | Bruce MACDONALD | Dorchester SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 37 | 36 | ‑44 | 73 |
| 40th | 2429 | Robin CAIGER | Bough Beech SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 39 | ‑41 | 37 | 76 |
| 41st | 2708 | Maisie BRISTOW | Island Barn Res SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | Y L | 40.5 | ‑44 | 39 | 79.5 |
| 42nd | 1809 | Iona WILLOWS | Dorchester SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | Y L | 45 | ‑46 | 35 | 80 |
| 43rd | 2039 | Karl MORLEY | Burton SC | RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | ‑43 | 39 | 42 | 81 |
| 44th | 1301 | Emily DAVIS | Great Moor SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | L | 44 | 38 | ‑45 | 82 |
| 45th | 2223 | Mark FOX | Stokes Bay SC | RS Aero 9 | 1024 | M | 42 | 40 | ‑43 | 82 |
| 46th | 2807 | Michael SEALEY | Butte SC
| RS Aero 7 | 1073 | | 40.5 | 45 | ‑46 | 85.5 |
| 47th | 1773 | RosemaryDILLWORTH | Bowmoor SC | RS Aero 5 | 1129 | L | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 98 |
| 47th | 1298 | Richard WATSHAM | Starcross YC / RNSA | RS Aero 9 | 1024 | | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 98 |
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