CONGRATULATIONS TO JERRY WALES OUR NEW RS700 NATIONAL CHAMPION!

 

Smashing photos of Day Four's racing and the prizegiving thanks to Sportography.tv

 

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Your Sportography.tc event video can be seen here

 

Prizes

 

Top club: HISC

 

Best video and best speed:  Richard Wadsworth

 

Apprentice Trophy:  John McKenna

 

Fidelis Trophy:  Neil Ashby

 

Master:  Andy Brown

 

1st Silver:  Theo Galyer

 

5th:  Richard Wadsworth

 

4th:  Adam Golding

 

3rd:  Ian Swann

 

2nd:  Robbie Bell

 

1st:  Jerry Wales

 

Full results below

 

Up on Y&Y here

 

Day Four

 

 

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

 

Overall it had been a great event.  Once the dust has settled nobody really cares or remembers who gets to etch their name on the winner’s trophy.   What people remember (or at least the sixteen brave folk that ventured out on the final day will) is that today we had about as much fun as is possible in a wetsuit.  It’s those memories that will remain etched on our souls and from such shared memories friendships are forged – who would have guessed.

 

So, with the wind already at 20+ knots and a forecast for the wind to build the option of sailing the final day in the bay had already been ruled out.   On offer was a couple of short races in the harbour after the RS400s and RS800s had had their turn.  With the tide already fast running out that was never really an option.  Sensibly the RS400s and RS800s saw the obvious flaw in the harbour option and called it a day.  Not so for a few of the RS700 fleet with nothing better to do, like a 6-hour drive home.  

 

Depending on who ventured out the final places were still up for grabs.  Adam Golding in provisional third had a mathematical possibility of moving up to second meaning Robbie Bell had to go and Robbie had a realistic chance of tying (and winning on count back) with Jerry Wales sitting in first, so he had to go.    In the end 16 RS700s decided what the hell and launched into the 20 – 30 knot breeze and what was left of the available water in Chichester harbour. 

 

The South-Westerly breeze (I mean gale) meant a start mid-channel up to a windward mark under the club across to a spreader mark just close enough to the Winner bank to require an immediate gybe and single sail reach back into the harbour.  Really - you want us bear away in mid-channel, in max tide, the wind gusting 20+ knots around the club house and then immediately gybe to avoid the Winner bank with a few passing cruisers thrown in – I mean really!

 

For those of us who managed to survive that hurdle the next issue was if and when to raise the spinnaker.  Leave it too late and you were playing chicken with the shallows on the Thorney side and an early gybe back on to starboard (do we have to gybe again?) meant getting up close and personal with the Winner bank again.    For those who dared and got it right the reward was a wild ride back to the leeward mark (or somewhere close to it) for all of about 30 seconds (I exaggerate for effect you understand, but not by much).  So by now you are getting the picture the racing was more akin to World Rally Cross than your normal Grand Prix racing.    I really have no idea who was where apart from Robbie Bell led for “most” of the first race.  The results show that the first to emerge from the fustercluck of scattered boat boats at the final leeward mark was Richard Wadsworth, finally a result worthy of his legendary status. For who came where after him best look at the overall results, but for Robbie Bell it was game over.  A badly injured ankle and a tow home was the way his regatta ended but he had done enough to secure second place overall.

 

For the second race there was even less water in the harbour.  How the hell are you supposed to know where water ends and sand banks start unless they have become dry land?  The way the locals find out is to carry on until you hit them – taxi for Swanny.  

 

Much like the first race I don’t really know at what point people were sailing or walking.  Jerry Wales finished first to end his regatta as it began and secure the overall victory.  Looking at the results Richard Wadsworth followed up his first in the previous race with a second and in third was Ian Swann having walked most of the way (just joking he walked all of the way), enough to secure him third place overall.

 

A great job by all concerned, so thanks to Hayling Island sailing club, to RS, to the Class Association and to our great sponsors – Volvo, Noble Marine, RS sailing, Harken and HISC Chandlery.

 

by Jerry Wales

 

Day Three

 

The wind arrived at last on day three for a four race extravaganza.  Race four saw Robbie choose the least favoured route to the right of the beat to clear the fleet at the windward mark.  He held the lead to the finish.  Big waves and traffic made for some white knuckle rides.  Jerry Wales held on to a solid second.  Neil Ashby finished third.

 

Race five got away in a solid 20 knots with Neil Ashby finding the front revelling in the conditions.  Jerry Wales was second with home club sailor Adam Golding finishing third.  John McKenna had a great result with fourth place. 

 

Race six got away but with Pete Purkiss too keen and OCS returning with others to dip the line.  Robbie Bell was eventual winner despite being chased down to a close finish with Jerry Wales.  A solid performance by Ian Nolan secured third place.

 

Conditions moderated for race seven with Pete Purkiss going hard right and Robbie Bell choosing the middle.  Robbie rounded first with Pete Purkiss second.  Huw Reynolds and Jerry Wales split gybes and gained on the leaders.  Huw rounded the leeward mark ahead of Pete and Robbie.  By the top mark Pete had gained the lead which he held to the finish with Robbie Bell in second and Jerry Wales sailing into third securing his overall lead going into the last day.

 

By Pete Purkiss

 

Photos thanks to Sportography.tv

 

Up on Y&Y here

 

Day One

 

Up on Y&Y here

 

Thursday morning dawned with light airs and a forecast for light and variable breeze throughout the day.  After a couple of hours postponement and some last minute bumbling the fleet took to the water in the vain hope of the breeze filling in.  It didn’t but the Ians were improved...

 

Day Two

 

More sparkling wall to wall sunshine as the fleet were released from the beach.  Eventually a pleasant 6 knots gradient breeze arrived and the first race of the championship got underway.  First to the mark Jerry Wales was closely followed by Pete Purkiss with Colin Dacey in third.  These three had a decent gap from the pursuing pack with Adam Golding of the home club ahead of the pack. 

Race two got away with the majority going left.  However the right hand side paid handsomel with the Snettisham trio of Colin Dacey, Ian Noland and Robbie Bell hard on the heels of Jerry Wales who recorded his second bullet.  Class Chairman Richard Wadsworth after drinking with the Snettisham crew suffered an unusual bout of seasickness considering his naval background.

The third race started in a softening breeze with the fleet bunched at the committee boat end.  First to the mark was James Bayliss who led the first lap.  Andy Brown was able to find a passing lane and the final order was Andy Brown followed by James Bayliss with Huw Reynolds in third. 

The Race Officer wisely postponed the fourth race in the dying breeze and sent the fleet home to enjoy the fantastic evening sunshine.

 

By Colin Dacey

 

Photos thanks to Sportography.tv