RS Aero UK Nationals & International Open at Paignton Sailing Club - Day 2
by RS Aero UK Class Association 29 May 2022 19:39 BST
RS Aero UK National Championships & International Open 2022 day 2 © Patrick Pakes
Day 2 of the 2022 RS Aero UK at Paignton brought more wind for the 101 RS Aeros. Winds mainly ranged from or 7-10kn with a 25kn squall thrown in! Three races were possible for each of the four fleets helping keep to schedule.
Consistency continues to be key in the closely racing of the RS Aero 9s. Steve Norbury (Warsash) now has a 5 point lead with an impressive 2,2,2,2,1,6 from Peter Barton (Lymington Town) and Ben Rolfe (Burghfield) who are both several points behind and already looking forward to the second discard! The RS Aero 9s had an exciting first race as a rain squall suddenly increased the breeze to 25kn on the run as they blasted downwind through the steep rolling waves to test a few sailor's balance!
The RS Aero 7s have the largest fleet with 44 entries and it was another testing day for getting off the start line cleanly without being called over by the eagle eyes of the Race Team. Noah Rees (Torpoint Mosquito) and Jack Miller (Felpham SC/Paignton) share the lead with Jack Lewis (RYA) a few point back.
RS Aero 6s belonged to Ellie Craig (Draycote) today with a clean sweep 1,1,1 to take the lead by just a point from Sam Mettam (Papercourt) in the inaugural 8 boat fleet after the first RS Aero 6 rigs started being dispatched this month. Zak Mitchell (Paignton) scored a 3rd in race 3.
In the RS Aero 5s Axel Almersson (Jollekappseglarna Vasteras, SWE) of Sweden held his lead, but by just a point, from Jonathan Bailey (Hunts). Chloe George (Lymington Town) is just two points further back. The big mover of the day was local sailor Mark Ripley (Paington) who banged in a 1,4,5 to jump to 4th.
With a solid 10 knots forecast for the next two days from a new direction the Championships looks set to have good variety and hopefully something for everyone.
Luca Mitchell of Paignton SC is competing in the RS Aero 7 fleet and said of the racing; "Today was super close and intense on the race course and with 44 RS Aero 7s I felt like I was racing everyone at different moment! Tor Bay has awesome waves in an easterly and the Race Team and club volunteers did a fantastic job of delivering the days schedule in tricky conditions with four separate fleets on the course."
Find full results at paigntonsailingclub.co.uk/open-events-championships/rs-aero-national-championships-2022