RS700 Fat Face Racing Circuit - Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

The WPNSA greeted the travelling 700 sailors with a stiff 30+ knot breeze and sunshine. Boats were rigged with several helping hands needed to get the masts up. The race officer waited in vain for the wind to back back off but with no respite the decision was made to abandon for the day and retire to the delights of a local curry house.

Sunday saw sixteen 700s take to the lumpy water in about 20-25knots wind and rain. Capsized boats were many before the start, but once the 500s and 600s had got away it was our turn. Given the strong winds and choppy sea, the one tack, one gybe approach was opted for by most. The racing was to be close at the front, with only four helms getting results in the top three, and one point separating the first three boats at the end of the day.

Andy White led race one at the first windward mark followed closely by Andy Irons. Phil Dickinson tacked into third from the port layline. Spinnakers went up, and a few voted for a quick swim. No place changes on the run or the next lap meant White took the gun with Irons and Dickinson not too far behind.

A thunderstorm passed over the harbour before the start of Race two. White and Dickinson got the boat end at the start and went right on the beat in the lighter conditions. Again Irons got between the two at the windward mark. Dickinson passed Irons by gybing earlier, only to give it back with a poor kite drop. White was now well ahead with nobody able to challenge his massive lead. On the run though, Phil Dickinson again gybed earlier than Andy Irons to hold onto second at the finish line, with Irons third.

Race three still saw rain and flat wiring conditions, but in lighter winds and a flatter sea. A wind shift brought a strong bias to the start line and the first beat. With boats struggling to set off, White was first to mess up by getting stuck on the pin, with boats frantically tacking onto port. Dickinson also missed the line, but quickly tacked onto port ducking the starboard bunch. Again Irons led Dickinson round the windward mark, with White down the pan. Places were unchanged until the beat where Dickinson went right and led over Irons at the second windward mark. Dickinson twisted his spinnaker halyard and let Irons back into the lead, until he sorted it out and gybed left into more wind. Coming into the last leeward mark on starboard, closely followed by Peter Sanders, Irons came in from the right between the two. So on the line Dickinson took his first bullet on the circuit, Irons second and Sanders in third, enough to secure his victory of the silver fleet. White pulled back up to fourth place to put himself on equal points with Dickinson. With two wins Andy White would take the event from Dickinson on countback, with Andy Irons taking third overall.

Our thanks go to Fat Face for their continued support and to WPNSA for providing their usual efficient organisation both on and off of the water.  Next stop is the Nationals at Torbay three weeks. With pre-entries up compared to the equivalent time last year and significant sponsorship this promises to be another fantastic event.  See you there!

Gold fleet

1^st Andy White Draycote SC

2^nd Phil Dickinson Queen Mary SC

3^rd Andy Irons Vagrant Outcasts SC

Silver Fleet

1^st Peter Sanders Queen Mary SC

2^nd Ian Nolan Hunstanton SC

3^rd Stuart Riches Hunstanton SC