GUL RS Nationals Day 5

Gul RS National Championships - Day 5 Title Sponsor - Gul International. Associate Sponsor - Jeep The RS200, 300 and 600 fleet completed their full programme of races in their National Championship on Friday 3rd August, to the great credit of the Mounts Bay Sailing Club race team, who have dealt admirably with trying and shifty conditions all week. The day commenced promisingly, but the wind never increased above Force 3 from the North West. Despite this, the racing was close and exciting to the last, with all overnight leaders hanging on to their championship places. The excellent social programme culminated with prizegiving, attended by Mike Pickering, of Gul International, a lively band in the marquee, and a nightclubbing trip to Penzance for the true stalwarts. RS 200 Race 9 for the 200s saw a race-long battle between Paul & Caroline Fisk and Harry & Prue Rume, with the Fisks coming out on top to win the race. The vital action had been taking place lower down the fleet however; overnight leaders, Geoff Carveth and Lesley Bennett, had been carefully shadowing Dave & Nicky Derby, the only competitors in a position to beat them overall. The Derbys were only able to finish in 20th position as a result, leaving the Carveth/Bennett team with an unassailable points total, despite finishing 28th in the race. To celebrate, they produced an emphatic display in the 10th and final race to win by the proverbial mile to emphasise their overall victory. Final Positions 1st 500 Geoff Carveth & Lesley Bennett 16 points 2nd 700 Dave & Nicky Derby 33 points 3rd 557 Craig Burlton & Emma Carveth 49 points 4th 655 Tom & Jo Hewitson 57 points 5th 520 Mark Littlejohn & Samuel Littlejohn 59 points 6th 626 Paul & Caroline Fisk 70 points 7th 710 Mike Saul & Sophie Hartley 70 points 8th 654 Jonathan Lewis & Lizzie Humphrey 72 points 9th 579 Steve &Katie Restall 73 points 10th 653 Paul & Suzie Hammett 81 points The first lady helm was Sarah Taylor, finishing in 22nd place, with her crew, Claire Upton-Brown. The 1st Junior, at the age of 13, was Sam Littlejohn, crewing for his father, finishing in 5th place. RS 300 Ten races down and there was still plenty of action left in the 300 class. A solid North Westerly offered good conditions for the final battles to be settled. Phil Davies still had a chance to catch leader Will Gulliver especially in lighter conditions, while good results for Matt Sargent good see him take second. Behind the epic battle continued with 4 boats in contention for fourth. Racing was therefore tight. Matt Critchley led off a port biased line in Race 11 in a close bunch which also included Gulliver and Davies. Sargent had started just up the line, and with Nick Bolland was the first to tack for the mark and a lifting gust from the left which saw most of the fleet overstand. Sargent rounded first with Critchley behind and these two held on down the reaches ahead of a tight pack. On the second beat Sargent extended with Gulliver working the shifts through to second. The third beat was a tense affair, with much covering. At the mark it was Sargent then Gulliver and once again a tight group. Hope grew for Sargent at the leeward mark as he rounded first with Davies in sixth but it died as on the last beat Gulliver worked the shifts to get ahead and take the championship, and Davies popped out of the pack to go third all but guaranteeing second place overall. Richard Cummings was fourth. In the last race the focus was once again on the battle for fourth to eigth. Another port biased line saw Nick Bolland take an early shower for a premature start, only to redress to average points. Sargent had obviously decided to attempt to force an error from Davies as he soon adopted a close cover, and tried to force him back into the fleet. This left Gulliver free to take the win. Behind him Andrew Benyon and Richard Cummings were fighting hard for third place and Steve Cook and Matt Critchley were also showing well. But it was Cummings who was able to exploit the immense tacking duel ahead of him and squeeze through to second leaving Sargent second and Davies third. The close tactical racing through the fleet, the mixed weights and rigs at the front and the friendly competition throughout bode well for the future of what remains, for now, the smallest, but perhaps most perfectly formed RS class. Final Positions 1st 475 Will Gulliver 15 points 2nd 329 Phil Davies 23 points 3rd 443 Matt Sargent 26 points 4th 455 Richard Cumming 49 points 5th 436 Andrew Benyon 52 points 6th 380 Nick Bolland 57 points 7th 374 Steve Cook 64 points 8th 332 Matt Critchley 80 points 9th 400 Ben Ward 82 points 10th 457 Terry Brooks 90 points RS600 Day 5 dawned overbcast with a few showers, but the reasonable breeze from the North West, provided a welcome chance for some trapeezing conditions. Race 11 began with everyone at the pin end going for the left side of the beat. A tight leading bunch chose Brian Greensmith for the lead, which he only surrendered on he last reach to Andy Irons and Ian Marshall. James McIntosh scoring another excellent result in forth to wrap up the Youth (under 21) prize. A rapid turnaround by the Race Officer saw Race 12 underway almost immediately. The lead changed hands several times before Christian Reynolds and McIntosh stretched away and raced one on one for the final race. Reynolds took the win with McIntosh second. Matt Humphrey led the chasing fleet, taking Richard Smith and Ian Jubb on the final run. Jason Belben had the Nationals wrapped up before the day began, but sailed around enjoying a 7th and 11th to consolidate his lead. Christian Reynolds, second overall, again by a comfortable margin, but with the rest of the top 10 wide open until the end gives everyone hope for next year. Final Positions 1st 842 Jason Belben 42 points 2nd 953 Christian Reynolds 49 points 3rd 654 Ian Marshall 81 points 4th 861 Andy Irons 87 points 5th 938 Tony Freer 88 points 6th 890 Ian Jubb 88 points 7th 878 James McIntosh 97 points 8th 887 Ian Trotter 97 points 9th 876 Anthony York 118 points 10th 911 Ian Montague 122 points