Gul RS200 & RS400 Club Champs at Datchet Water Sailing Club

Action from the RS200 & RS400 Club Champs Finals at Datchet © David Blyth / www.fotoboat.com

Action from the RS200 & RS400 Club Champs Finals at Datchet © David Blyth / www.fotoboat.com

Action from the RS200 & RS400 Club Champs Finals at Datchet © David Blyth / www.fotoboat.com

RS200:

Fierce competition for great prizes

The RS Association played out the finale to the 2006 Gul club championship at Datchet Water SC. 9 clubs were represented in the 200 fleet of 20 boats. The light airs were particularly tricky due to the height of the reservoir sides given the lack of water, everyones concentration and patience was tested to the extreme. In race one Chris Pickles & Laura Westell got off the mark quickest to win from Phil & Dan Sowden. In the second race Steve Janering & Lottie Wakeling, Chris Martin & Rach Harrison and locals Nick & Claire Haylett spotted the breeze and put plenty of space between themselves and the chasing pack, but in the final 3rd of the 2nd beat Sue Antonelli and Jo Lloyd made the most of the shifts to lead at the windward mark and take the hooter. A remarkable surprise to coach Steve Dunn who was seen rolling about the safetyboat laughing when Sue and Jo finished 18th in the first race! Rob and Jan Martin headed hard left early in the next race to lead at the windward mark, they then went left again up the 2nd beat, 2/3rd up the beat it had looked like a disasterous choice, but the breeze filled in as if to order and went on to win with ease. In the last race it was Ellie Martin and Hannah Burywood who despite a late start found breeze and were first around the windward mark only to have a 400 backmarker hover to leeward to prevent a gybe which cost them the lead.

In the debrief Coach Steve told everyone to practice harder, look for lanes and to relax in the boat rather than clutching the mainsheet too tightly and hooking the leech. Oh and to try and “start in the middle of the line to cut any losses with the shifts if you can’t work out a pattern”. The wind had swung around to the west on Sunday morning. In race 5 it definitely paid to head right along the side of the wall, Sue & Jo made the most of this and led from start to finish. Simon Gillow & Emma Harniman got the best start in race 6 and took the race with ease, Chris & Laura eased ahead of Phil & Dan in 3rd leaving the race for the 2nd prize (free entry to the 2007 Nationals) up for grabs. Steve made his final race bid and took a clear lead but lost out to Sue & Jo after some loose covering and a most outrageous lift, Phil & Dan finished 4th just enough to secure 2nd place overall. Sue and Jo went home smiling with a promise of a new Jib courtesy of LDC, GUL generously provided prizes for the top 8 boats. Wembley won the team prize of a days coaching at the club.

RS400:

Light winds, large shifts and aeroplanes were the conditions that dominated the weekend at Datchet Water SC. On arrival there was no water, boats or cars to be seen, but that was because launching was from a platform half way down - which was actually rather useful!!

The race officer kicked off Saturdays racing starting the 200s first, but after race 1 and the mele at the first mark, the 4's were first start. Race 1 was the breeziest of the weekend and made for fun mixing with the 200s. The leading three boats were lucky to get past the twos early and this helped them stay ahead. Rob and Liz Jones won race 1, with Sam Parker and Anna Ludgate in 2nd and Paul Allen and Michael Allen in third.

Andy Fox and Simon Woods, having missed race 1, dominated the second race to win with a large gap to the rest of the pack. A bit of corner banging on the first beat to find the wind really paid off. Chirs's Rowland and Goswell finished 2nd and Allen/Allen were third.

In race three, Andrew and Tom Wilson lead the entire race by some distance, but ran out of wind metres from the finish boat to be pushed into 2nd by Chris and Jill Jordon. Parker/Ludgate were third and Allen/Allen fourth. When the main pack finished it was quite a sight - finish line pile up, with the finishers dropping kites and losing momentum and everyone else piling into the back. There was plenty of on the water agreements about who finished where.

We all thought this was it for the day, but power of the people was stopped by the rescue boat - running a 4th race due to a lighter forecast for the next day. Race 4 was increasingly patchy, but with clear wind bands that were there to be caught. Allen/Allen finished first with Jones/Jones and Parker/Ludgate in 2nd and 3rd. Nev and Lou Watson had great speed and were on course to make it a Weston 2/3/4 but got caught on a buoy to leeward of the final windward mark.

After racing - a debrief with coach for the day - Steve Dunn. Top tips, practice and look ahead and get your heads out of the boat.

Sunday - leaving Southampton at 8am there wasn't a jot of wind, so we had shoppping and sunbathing planned for the day. At Datchet, at the top of the bowl there was a lovely breeze blowing. At water level, there was less wind, but sailable.

Race 1 was all about getting into the new wind band first. Allen/Allen sailed in wind consistently to finish first, Paul and Matt Stainsby also had a good race to finish 2nd, with Jones/Jones in third.

The second race of the day was in a dieing breeze, however there was one semi-planing style gust - Parker/Ludgate almost demonstrating how to capsize... Allen/Allen won the race by metres from Parker/Ludgate with Andrew and Tom Wilson sailing well to finish 3rd.

The last race of the weekend was the closest race of all, with the top 10 boats finishing within seconds of each other. There were great lifts off the wall on the starboard side, but more wind in the middle and getting the right mix was vital. Andy Fox and and Simon Woods got it very right and finished first, with Caroline Exley and Jude Pryde finishing second and Rowland/Goswell 3rd.

Leigh and Lowton won the team prize - a club training day, with Weston snapping closely at their heels. Allen/Allen were first overall - hope to see that new jib they won on the circuit next year, Parker/Ludgate were 2nd winning free entry to next years nationals (the boat won't be sold then) and Jones/Jones were third winning a private coaching session.

Overall Results: