RS700 Open Meeting at Hayling Island Sailing Club 25-26 April 15

Despite a varying forecast throughout the preceding week the opening RS700 meeting of the season attracted 20 competitors and a strong 12 boats from the home club.

Nick Rawlings, an elder statesman of the RS700 fleet with 10 years’ service prior to graduating to the tactical Solo fleet, used his excellent knowledge of the class and Hayling Bay West to set excellent windward leeward courses with a downwind leeward mark gate and windward spacer mark, worthy of a National championship.

Race 1 started in around 15 knots of SW breeze with small port end line bias and a suggestion of tidal favour to the right side of the course.  Brown and Swann set off on port with Swann finding a gap behind Ashby who set off on starboard.  At the top mark 1 mile north, Nicholson who also went right and carried outstanding speed and height lead Ashby and Swann who had established a small lead over the pack.  Nicholson looked to have it all sewn up with his 100m lead at the gybe point but he took the opportunity to inspect the dagger board with a capsize which meant he dropped back to a credible 7th which he consistently defended to the prize giving.

Race 2 followed a similar pattern with Swann and Brown port tack starting and Swann leading Ashby to the windward mark.  The lead was hotly contested over the next 2 laps when the wind swung more south and brought in dense fog bank on a freshening and cold breeze.  This left Ashby followed by Swann trying to guess where the windward mark might be (and anything else) when an International 14 powered past and tacked for and imaginary lay line.  We followed and just spotted the mark 100m to leeward in the gloom.  The 14s then suggested a gybe point and we followed home to finish Ashby, Swann, Bayliss who found his night vision to round the windward mark and make up several places.

Sunday dawned with a cool ENE blowing.  A start line with some committee boat bias lead to another clean start and Swann and Jones lead off left to the lay line.  Jones showing excellent pace in his first open. Ashby came back to take the lead and Golding and Kennedy took second and fourth to fly the Chichester harbour federation flag.

Race 4 and 5 followed a similar pattern with the exception of Letten finding his sea legs and charging to the port tack lay line to secure 2 first places and promote himself to second overall behind Ashby.

The fleet then had a long beat home which underlined the exertions of the weekend and galvanised many of us to get more time in the boat, gym, on the bike etc.

Let's keep up the momentum for Carnac on 23rd May and Parkstone on 20th June.

Attached is a table showing the weight and CRM of the competitors.  It is interesting to note that like the National Champs 2014 when 55% of the competitors were > 93kg we continue the trend this year with 50% of the competitors > 93kg.

Report by Ian Swann

Extra Day One Report by RS700 Class Chair Neil Ashby

20 RS700s headed towards the start line to the west of the HISC bar with a very nice 12 knot breeze to play with.

Out of the starting blocks first was Mark Nichlson followed by Ian Swann, Simon Letten and Neil Ashby.  Mark had built up very healthy lead up the first beat of 200 feet but then was robbed downwind by an awkward gybe resulting in starboard capsize and letting the other three through. The next lap was a tussle between the top three with Ian showing some exceptional speed up and downwind but a bad layline into the top mark saw Neil Ashby take the lead, Ian second and Simon third.

Race 2: The wind had built a little bit more for this race and Neil Ashby was first to the top mark followed closely by "I can do it Hamish " and Richard Kenedy . Ian Swann moved into second place chasing Neil the whole race, both sailors were trying everything in the book to win!  On the third lap the sea mist rolled in and we all lost site of the top mark and pretty much everything else to be honest, visibility was down to one hundred metres and Neil massively overstood the top mark and having to put the kite up to get back to the mark.  Fortunately Ian also overstood but didn't see the mark for about another ten seconds or so letting Neil off the hook!

Race 3 was postponed till Sunday.

A great day 1 racing up and down the fleet.

Day one report by Neil Ashby