RS200 Training at Restronguet Sailing Club

RS200 Training at Restronguet © Restronguet SC

On the 22nd February a group of eight keen RS200s, from across the Southwest and even as far afield as Scotland, gathered on the sunny shores of Restronguet Sailing Club for a day of training part-funded by an RS Class Association Training Grant.

Initially greeted with a gentle breeze and brilliant sunshine, teams hoisted the jibs and set up for what could have been a light wind day. But, once the wetsuits were donned, and wrapped in enough layers to make flexibility seem impossible, it became apparent that the wind had other things in mind for the day.

Hoping to improve technique, and with a particular focus on picking modes, the group launched, and were immediately greeted with sharp gusts and big wind shifts thrown down onto the Carrick Roads from the land mass behind. Blasting downwind away from the club, consistency developed and provided a perfect opportunity for teams to perfect their downwind mode changing. Marginal planing conditions led to fraught down winds, and with the help of expert coach Jack Hawkins, the group pushed each other hard, and lots of learning was achieved.

Jack was the Olympic training partner for the Tokyo 2020 games, and his coaching was excellent and with some boats commenting this was the "most useful coaching they had ever received!

After a day of fast-paced exercises, the boats came ashore, winter cobwebs fully cleared! A fantastic bit of sailing - bring on the summer.