RS400 International Championship at Circolo Vela Torbole - Overall

RS400 European Championship at Lake Garda - Day 3 © Elena Giolai

Day One

It's our first time at Garda and I'm star struck by the place. I'm still amazed how at midday hits and the Ora fills in! The club has been very hospitable with dinner provided on the Monday night and Italian pasta night on the Tuesday.

Day 1 got off to a late 2pm start which seemed to result in a slightly weaker Ora in race two. Mike Sims and Jack Holden got their series of to a good start with two bullets. The Robertson's did push them coming away with two seconds. Sean Cleary and Annalise Nixon managed to hold on the back of the them to get two thirds. The best surprise performance was from Bruce Mills and Andrea Jarman who got a seventh in race two!

Day Two

Day two started off with a stronger Ora which on the right side of course was touching 18knots. On the left side of the course (RS400 outer loop) the wind was a bit tricky again with many holes to catch out the best of us. Sean Cleary and Annalise Nixon started the day off with a bullet which came down to a tight battle to the finish with Russell and June Collister who came home in second. Bruce and Andrea did very well to spot a big gust off the Torbole cliffs to jump from fifth to first in one leg!

Race four got under way with Mike Sims and Jack Holden and Jim Downer and Jon Price leading the charge. Most of the fleet banged the Riva cliff side so hard that the kites were nearly necessary to get back to the windward mark. This gave Paul Oakley and Dan Martin the opportunity to push the leaders hard. Mike Sims and Jack Holden took their third bullet followed closely by Sean Cleary and Annalise Nixon. Standout performance was from Jacob and Kayleigh Roberts who took a 5th in their new red boat spotting the closer angle to the windward.

Day Three

Right on schedule the Ora arrived with a bit more breeze nudging 20 knots for another day of racing in the sunshine at glorious Garda. Also arriving from the deep south of Eastbourne Sovereign were the dukes of hazard in the form of Mike and Sophie Green, pulling off a port tack start in both races in their General Lee coloured orange RS400. Although the second one was probably closer to the driving style seen in the 1980s Saturday evening TV show. With the increased breeze getting onto port and heading for the cliffs was the popular option on the first beats with the major decision being when to tack for the windward mark. Hold on and come in free and fast was the majority view, but gains were also made by tacking earlier and taking the wind bend around the headland up to the mark.

At the second mark of the trapezoid course the leaders all gybed to head back to the cliffs on the Western side, which required crossing a patch of doldrums before hooking into the breeze for the blast to the bottom mark. Over enthusiasm, or putting off gybing caused some to over stand and struggle up to the mark as the pressure increased and headed near the bottom of the course. With pressure bands coming down the lake staying on the left hand side paid for some with a pink and bright yellow spinnaker playing this to perfection to be up with leaders by the bottom mark. Sorry not to give due credit but you were too far away to identify.

At the end of some very close racing at the front James Downer and Jon Price posted two bullets with the super consistent pairings of Mike Simms and Jack Holden 2, 4 and Sean Cleary and Annalise Nixon 3, 3 both of whom had missed out after the last windward mark by staying in breeze on the right that on this occasion faded allowing the leading two boats who and gybed at the mark to escape for a comfortable finish.

Day Four

Once again it was sunshine and the Ora kicking in right on schedule but more evenly spread across the course with about 20 knots by the second race and a resultant chop. The sight of super sailor Jack Holden looking excited before racing in a breeze is not unusual, but there was something different about his happy mood when we met just before launching. Jack had just got engaged to Monique on a mountain overlooking Lake Garda, top location, top bloke and congratulations to them both.

As for the racing James Downer and Jon Price carried on from yesterday with a comfortable win in the first race from Mike Simms and Jack Holden, and Stuart and Sarah Robertson. Barrie Thornton and Nick Hunt had their best result of the event coming in fourth.

Race two had the most wind and what seemed like the longest first beat to date. This was possibly because the usual lift under the headland didn't appear requiring a few extra port tacks instead of the typical freeing starboard lay line. Mike and Jack rounded first with Paul Oakey and Dan Martin in close company, gybe-setting at the wing mark allowed this pair to be first back to the strongest breeze under the cliffs and to extend from the fleet.

The deployment of Dan, the lever, closed the gap enough for some serious covering approaching the last windward mark before Mike and Jack escaped to another win. Sean Cleary and Annalise Nixon again showed impressive speed to secure third, with David Swift and Ian Clark in fourth for their best placing of the week.

With some super fast and consistent sailing Mike and Jack can't now be beaten for the championships, giving Jack even more to smile about. Still very close for second and third, and place shuffling throughout the fleet with lots of boats on equal or one or two points different so there is still plenty to play for on the last day.

Day Five

Races 9 and 10 and the final day's racing of what has been a fantastic week of close racing. An hour long postponement due to a strong Northerly wind taking a while to be turned over by the Southerly Ora, racing got under way around 2pm in a nice breeze, not so full on as "Big Thursday" but enough for me to appreciate having a stand-in crew weighing in at 14 stone!

The usual front runners of Mike Sims/Jack Holden, James Downer/Jon Price, Sean Cleary/Annalise and National Champions Stewart and Sarah Robertson all headed off towards the cliffs in anticipation of the usual lift back up towards the windward mark, whilst a couple of them made it across the fleet, some on the port lay line managed, unusually to keep their personal lift to the mark and really mixed it up with the front runners. The first downwind leg also threw in a surprise as those who gybed off to the cliffs didn't get the usual bear away in the stronger breeze and were out done by those that went right and down the middle. The next beat saw most holding their positions.

Race winners were: Sean Cleary and Annalise Nixon, second Michael Sims and Jack Holden, third Paul Oakey and Dan Martin, fourth James Downer and Jon Price.

The final race of the championship was a lighter wind affair as the thunder and storm clouds rumbled and built over the distant Dolomites. Sensibly the race team shortened this to a one lap race to get the fleet ashore before it arrived. With Michael and Jack already ashore having secured the overall win, it was left to the rest to fight it out. Sean and Annalise capped a fine week with a bullet, second Stewart and Sarah Robertson, third Russell and June Collister, fourth Andy Hatch and Dan Hawkins.

So the end of a great week at Circolo Vela Torbole on the stunningly beautiful Lake Garda. It didn't disappoint and hopefully met everyone's expectations. As usual the RS400 fleet were a great bunch to mix with on the water and off. Competitive but fair racing. The dinghy park meant you got to know everyone pretty quickly!

Thanks to Andy Powell for running the show for the RS400s. The Pink Panther is on the up.

The new Euro Champions, and well deserved counting four bullets amongst their results, are Michael Sims and Jack Holden RS400 1488. Second Sean and Annalise. Third James and Jon. Fourth Stewart and Sarah. Fifth Paul Oakey and Dan Martin.

More photos from Elena Giolai: www.facebook.com/pg/circolovelatorbole/photos and from Emma Grayson: www.flickr.com/photos/182855316@N05/with/48362775591

Good Luck to all who are going to Northern Ireland for the forthcoming Nationals.

RS400 European Championship at Lake Garda - Day 3 - photo © Elena Giolai

Overall Results:

RS400 European Championship at Lake Garda - Day 3 - photo © Elena Giolai