Noble Marine Rooster RS200 National Championships - Buddy Groups
by Sally Campbell 1 Aug 2022 20:36 BST
21-25 August 2022
200 Nationals at Exe SC 2021 © Tom Hurley
It's now just three weeks until the biggest ever RS200 Nationals in the 25+ year history of the boat! Over 175 boats will start in one single fleet gate start at Hayling Island Sailing Club!
The famous and much-anticipated RS200 Buddy groups and gold, silver, bronze fleet allocations have just announced. This year they follow the event's 'Tube Station' theme, which is also the theme for the Big Tuesday Night Fancy Dress Party.
The list is here...
Can you see why certain sailors have been given certain stations? We'll help you with an easy one, the brains behind the buddy groups Victoria Upton, whom we thank for this mammoth job - imagine working out which fleet each of 350 sailors should be in - has put herself into, yes you've guessed it, the Victoria group.
The Buddy Group system is an integral part of the National Championships, designed to help sailors get to know each other and for the better sailors to help those with less experience progress.
Rooster's generous title sponsorship includes daily prizes for the top three boats in the gold, silver and bronze fleets throughout the event, meaning that every sailor has a chance to win. There is a Rooster buddy prize at the Championship prize-giving for the best placed group.
Each Buddy Group has three pairs - usually one gold, one silver and one bronze boat. The Buddy Bingo with a twist is the first big social event of the championships, perfect for buddies to get to know each other. There is a Rooster buddy prize at the Championship prize-giving for the best placed group.
The Class Association knew this event was going to be popular, but entry has surpassed our expectations and we have had to implement an entry limit, which means that we are sold out. We have now set up a waiting list, which those who are not entered are encouraged to add their names too - every year so far there have been a few boats who have had to drop out at the last minute, so all is not lost for those on the waiting list - in fact at the time of writing this, there are no boats on the waiting list due to a couple of drop outs.
As well as the buddy groups, the event includes other initiatives to make it as inclusive and welcoming as possible. There will be a gate start seminar by Class Technical Rep, Tommy Darling, and an ask the experts q and a session with the top placed boats.
We simply cannot wait for the racing to start!