RS ASSOCIATION SUCCESS AT WEST LANCS 24 HOUR RACE

RS Assoc success at 24 Hour Race, star prize to the Doris team, thanks to Purple The RS Assoc entered three teams for West Lancs 24 Hour Race and walked off with so many trophies that John Callaghans camper van was needed as a trophy cabinet. The 24 Hour race used to be well known for strong winds but the event was sailed in light winds through most of the 90's. This year was very different, wind strength was probably force 5 or for more than 18 hours. Throughout Saturday the lake was hit by a whole series of rain squalls bringing huge lumps of wind. I think no one will forget the scene on the lake at 16.00 on Saturday with 35 knots for over 15 minutes all 63 boats were in the water. Chris Jennings and Ed Nicklin, in the RS GP had capsized, stood on the bottom but could not stop their boat (on its side) making good speed downwind for a jetty. By midnight there were shattered bodies everywhere, normally people pass out in the clubhouse and marquee from drink; this year people were asleep everywhere from fatigue. The RS ENT team was having a real problem finding a crew who had the strength to stand let alone sail. Colin Staite, Grebo "I have had 11 pints" and James Holmes pulled through. 25% of the teams took their boats out of the water at some stage during the night as they had no people willing to sail. Mark Littlejohn had never been in an Ent before, never been to 24 hour race, drove 4 hours from Guildford on Sat early evening, arrived at 21.30 and was on a screaming reach in the dark heading for his first Ent gybe at 22.15. In this context we must praise the RS Doris team sailing an Ent. Their heaviest combined crew weight was 18 stone. We had to replace their Ent on Thursday night with a very old boat that they had no time to prepare. The majority of the team had never sailed an Ent. Yet they finished 24th overall; only stopped to replace a shattered tiller, did not use cut down sails and never thought about stopping (Team Capt Trudie "chief Doris" Danbury ran a hard team). Manager John Callaghan kept the team warm (with non stop coffee, soup, bacon rolls of course and lots of sleeping bags in his camper van). In the most bizarre incident of the whole race the RS Doris team were the only team warned for pumping and ouching. This was in a force 6 and 8 stone Nicole on the helm was trying to pull the main in but was being pulled back along the deck instead!!! The RS GP team were almost always 5th but sailed a fantastic final six hours and pulled up to 2nd overall; also winning the first GP prize along with a whole series of special category prizes. The RS Ent team finished 5th overall, were second Ent and won the fastest first two laps prize. The winning team was Ent Assoc Frensham Pond with Nick Craig, Roger Gilbert and James Stewart the cornerstones of the team. James sailed an amazing 10 hours. Special mention must go to Purple who supplied the GP and one of the Ents, they held together very well but had a very hard sail. The purple dot on the mainsails was well to the fore. Also John Callaghan was a star; thinking he was looking after a nice group of "laadddies" and spending a lot of time drinking he ended up staying up until 05.00 looking after all three RS teams and sorting out an ever changing rota. Teams RS GP's 2nd overall - Craig Burlton, James Date, Chris Jennings, Ed Nicklin, Steve Venables, Richard Brown, Mark Needler, Jason Pyke, Ian Gregory RS Ents 5th overall - Paul Goodison, James Holmes, Mark Greaves, Chips Howarth, Sarah Howarth, Dave Fewings, Greg O Brien, Tony Woods, Colin Staite, Mike Budd, Mark Littlejohn, Jez Entwistle, Sally Potter RS Doris's 24th overall, 1st Ladies - Trudie Danbury, Sheena Craig, Sarah Taylor, Claire Upton Brown, Heather Matthews, Lucy Matthews, Nicole Johnson, Fiona Jubb, Lizzie Humphries, Ellie Haines