Results / GUL Grand Prix Highcliffe SC - 21/04/2012

Forecast - Fresh to Frightening

When is the RS700 Open Circuit going to enjoy a weekend of "All Races Completed"? The first event of the 2012 GUL Grand Prix series found us at Highcliffe with our chums from the 200 and 800 squads. This time Windguru had it spot on and we had a hair-raising two days of choppy waters and difficult squalls which challenged the best of us.

I'm going to keep it brief this time and let the GPS tracks speak for themselves. Very frustratingly, seawater found its way into the unit on Jerry Wales’ boat, the weekend champion, which spoils the effect somewhat (and didn't do much good to the Garmin. I've ordered Aquapacs - Minorca Sailing knows what's what!)

Find the replays at www.hamishgriffiths.com. I've taken the unusual step of separately publishing the unedited tracks because much of the fun was to be seen off the ball! Why not download a free trial copy of GpsActionReplay from the net, get the .gpx files from my site and play around with the extended features not available on the Java applet?

Saturday's course was set nearly 3km down the coast from Mudeford Quay and the excellent PRO, Simon Mussel, laid the windward mark fairly true at 285deg and 1.8km from the committee boat which, tbh, seems a long way for us pond sailors!

Old rivals Jerry Wales and Jon Heissig had a close joust with Jerry taking line honours in the first race where wind against tide made for choppy conditions and more tacks than usual before the wm layline was found. Tony Dencher who, it has to be said, probably seemed most comfortable with the difficult conditions nosed his brother Mike for top spot in the second as folks got the hang of the course and showed that when it comes down to it, straight line top speed is what it can be all about. (He hit 22.2kt on Sunday - easily the fastest we've seen in the GPS tracking era). Mercifully, the third race was abandoned as a wicked squall at the second windward mark had dozens of boats upturned from all fleets and the rescue boats doing sterling work.

Sunday started well with tighter racing from the fleet starting in gentler conditions and race 4 had Dencher T, Heissig and Wales all enjoying a share of the lead, but it was Dencher who just edged the win from Wales to maintain his overall lead. Sure enough the forecast heavy weather came in and only 4 contestants were hard enough to make it to the finish line in the next race where gusts of easily 30kts had most of us Nancies fleeing for home. Wales kept the hammer down for the win and to take the weekend on count back from Tony Dencher, both on 8 points.

Thanks, as usual, to Highcliffe for looking after us so well and to GUL our sponsors. Eastbourne next in 3 weeks. Come on guys!