Results / RS700 Fat Face Racing Circuit Queen Mary SC - 17/04/2004

Round 3 of the Fat-face sponsored circuit took place at Queen Mary SC on 17th/18th April. We had everything from sun to heavy rain, calm to F5 over the 2 days. Andy White came away comfortable winner but the race for 2nd overall went right down to the wire. Andy Irons was the only person to beat Andy White on the water while Tony Freer claimed the other race victory after Andy W had choosen for an early shower having wrapped the series up with a race to spare. Saturday's conditions proved testing for those new to the boat or were rusty from the winter lay-up and so boat handling proved to be the biggest issue to get right over tactics. Andy White showed the fleet a clean pair of heels in the days three races but had to fight to win race 1 from Andy Irons after a last minute dunk. As the day went on the wind increased so race 3 saw the fleet charging around in a blustery F5. With the forecast for more wind on Sunday with rain the fleet went home to rest their weary bodies. Sunday had rain alright but the strong winds seem to have blown through early. The conditions on arrival at the club was a wet F4 and as race time approached it was probably a little less than that. Race 4 saw Tony Freer get clear but it was never really far enough to feel safe. On the penultimate lap the wind died to ghosting conditions and it was Irons & White who had sailed furthest left who picked up the new breeze first and passed Tony, much to his vocal dissapproval. Irons stayed ahead to claim victory from White with Freer 3rd. Race 5 was also held in light, wet conditions with Rous, Irons & White ahead of the rest. Irons passed Rous but them found himself parked in a hole while Rous and White sailed around him. White found the better breeze and found the front but by the finish it was these 3 who all finished quite closely. The race for 2nd place overall was still quite wide open, Albrecht, Rous, Irons and Freer could all in theory have still get the runners-up slot so race 6 was crucial. Rous timed his starting run well and with a shortest route picked to the first mark led nicely from Freer and Irons. The wind had also returned for this last race so downwind the fleet was flying. Rous continued to lead until an unforced error in gybing put him in. Freer and Irons passed the capsized Rous to finish 1st and 2nd while a quickly recovering Rous got 3rd from Albrecht. Irons then had done enough to get 2nd while Freer, victor from the Chew Valley open claimed 3rd. There were several new faces at QMSC who were sailing the boat very well. David Cummins from the home fleet stands out as someone to watch this year after some more time on the water. Also well done to Peter Halliwell, our senior member of the fleet who sailed extremely well in the testing conditions. The next RS700 event is the HISC 10th anniversary event over the first May bank-holiday and the next Fat-face event is Stokes Bay on 15/16th May.