RS200 Sprint Championship 2025 at Waldringfield Sailing Club

RS200 Sprint Championship at Waldringfield © Neil Collingridge

Fast, furious, and above all - fun! That was the RS200 Sprints event run at Waldringfield SC on Sunday 1st June. With glorious sunshine, a high tide and a gusty F3-4 the stage was set for five short races (15-20 minutes) over a windward/leeward course, all managed by race officer Neil Collingridge. A small, but perfectly formed fleet assembled down at Galleons Hard for some fabulous racing.

Race 1 started with a heavily biased pin end and with at least three boats OCS, and some mayhem dodging returning boats. It was 1565 Andrew Nunn & Becky Rains who rounded in first with the pack chasing close behind. With the course across the full width of the river there were huge gains and losses to be made on the shifts when the tide was factored in. After two laps and much place changing Andrew & Becky took the win with 1720 Chris & Nicole Mayhew in second and 1382 MJ Gifford & Tim Waller third.

Race 2 saw MJ & Tim and 1350 Tom & Char Stewart pull out a big gap in front of everyone else and after some frantic place swapping it was Tom & Char who scored first after round up through the leeward gate and a screaming reach to the finish.

Race 3 was much the same with the same two boats battling it out at the front, while the rest of us could only try to keep up. Some of the gusts were truly ferocious and the family Team of 1663 Hattie Collingridge crewed by her mum Sarah nearly came a cropper as they converged with Chris & Nicole at the gate on port gybe - Scary! Tom & Char took another win, with MJ & Tim second.

By the start of Race 4 the fleet was down to four boats as two had decided to call it a day from sheer exhaustion. The U21 team of Tily Jones & Gwen Thorogood had already enjoyed an action packed morning team racing the newly acquired club Fireflys so took an early shower.

Once again the racetrack was strewn with massive, shifty gusts and the downwind legs were very much a "snakes and ladders" affair. As the leading pack approached the leeward gate on lap 3, a huge gust swept through and Tom & Char lost control for a spectacular capsize. Chris & Nicole stole the lead and just held off MJ & Tim for their first win of the series.

So going into the final race any one of the remaining four teams could still win overall - the race officer set four laps (surely too many we thought; our legs were tired!) and off we went again.

RS200 Sprint Championship at Waldringfield - photo © Neil Collingridge

MJ & Tim pulled out a huge lead over the course of the race and looked to be set to take the series. On the final run to the leeward gate Andrew & Becky, who had been lying fourth, chose to go left and split with the other boats, taking a massive gust and left hand shift, enabling them to overtake Tom & Char and Chris & Nicole.

Meanwhile, MJ & Tim were approaching the leeward gate - but hold on - they dropped their kite and headed upwind again! How many laps have we done? Andrew & Becky carried on to the line... Tom & Char headed upwind again... who was right? Even the race officer was quickly checking his notes, but the finish horn sounded as 1565 crossed the line, with 1720 close behind.

So after all the sums were calculated, Andrew & Becky were overall winners on countback from Chris & Nicole, with only 2 points separating the top four teams. Well done to the Race Management and Safety boat team who were kept busy all afternoon!

Next up at Waldringfield is the Waldringfield Regatta on Friday 27th-29th June followed by The Cartoon Trophy 6-7th September. See you there!

Andrew Nunn and Becky Rains win the RS200 Sprint Championship at Waldringfield - photo © Andy Bush

Overall Results: