RS Elite fleet at Chichester Harbour Race Week
by Alasdair McLeod 23 Aug 20:31 BST
20-22 August 2019
RS Elites in Chichester Harbour Race Week © Peter Hickson
Ossie Stewart's More T Vicar (RS Elite 67) decisively won the RS Elite event in Chichester Harbour Race week, the rebranded Chichester Harbour Federation Week. The Elites sailed six races on the middle thee days of the event, sailing windward-leeward courses in Hayling Bay on the Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd August.
More T Vicar won five out of the six races with Colin Smith as guest skipper for races five and six. Paul Fisk and crew, sailing RS Elite 110 Legs Eleven, fresh from their recent success in Cowes Week, won race two on the first day, the only race not won by More T Vicar.
Andy and Karen Partington's Lazy Daisy (RS Elite 66) took second place with 14 points overall to More T Vicar's five (after discards). Completion for second, third, fourth and fifth places was intense, with both third and fourth placed boats on 16 points with RS Elite 65 Vagrant sailed by Toby Strauss and Rob Cruikshank taking third on countback and RS Elite 46 The Doctor (Pete Copsey and crew) finishing fourth. Legs Eleven finished fifth overall on 18 points.
After a spell of wet and windy weather, conditions moderated on Tuesday for the first two RS Elite races. The shifty west-southwest wind, gusting to 18 knots at times gave some exhilarating and challenging racing. On Wednesday and Thursday, the winds were lighter and steadier from the southwest, but the fleet continued to enjoy competitive champagne sailing. Race management was excellent, giving an enjoyable three days racing for all.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Skipper (Club) | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 67 | More T Vicar | Ossie Stewart (HISC) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 66 | Lazy Daisy | Andy Partington Karen Partington (HISC) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| 3 | 65 | Vagrant | Toby Strauss Rob Cruickshank (HISC) | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| 4 | 46 | The Doctor | Pete Copsey Max Sparkes Carol Leaning (HISC) | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| 5 | 110 | Legs Eleven | Paul Fisk Caroline Fisk Ian Jubb (HISC) | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
| 6 | 25 | Freeby Knot | Andrew Archibald Pippa Archibald (HISC) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 30 |
| 7 | 44 | Eclipse | Elliot Caldwell Debbie Caldwell Katie Peters (HISC) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 34 |