Results / Fat Face RS700 Eurocup La Societe des Regates Rochelaises, La Rochelle, France - 27/07/2005

Day of broken promises... Day three of the RS700 Fat Face Euro cup event was a day of broken promises. The overnight thunderstorms and forecast of force 3/4 winds with up to 30 knot gusts created expectations of more boisterous conditions than had been experienced so far, which lead to some anticipation and excitement on the shore. Once out there the gradient wind was fighting against the sea breeze which almost counted out any wind. A light sea breeze developed and race five got under way. Race 5. The first race started with the pin the favoured end. However, it was the boats that needed to clear their air that tacked off to the right that picked up the early shift. Nigel Walbank took the lead with Tim Dickenson very closely followed by Dave Cumming. Pete Greenhalge was suffering up the first beat but then sailed well, to claim a couple more places down wind while Cumming and Wales slipped. Walbank managed to hold his lead right up until the final gybe of the shortened course when Dickinson just managed to ease past for a well fought victory. Dickenson and Walbank sailed a solid race in the difficult winds getting 1st and 2nd While, Greenhalge took a very well respected 3rd. 1st Tim Dickinson GBR 2nd Nigel Walbank GBR 3rd Pete Greenhalge GBR Race 6. Saw much of the same, no more than 8- 10 knots. The gun went. In the first 100 yards the wind flicked right, which favoured the middle of the course. Which Greenhalge and Heissig took full advantage. Greenhalge only just took the lead away from Heissig around the top mark as apparently he collided with a big jelly fish which stopped him dead. The rest of the fleet followed and came together. Cummings was 3rd after Heissig regained control then followed by Dickenson and Steve Butcher then Jerry Wales and Lee Albrecht all within a boat length of each other. The fleet kept very close in that order until the down wind leg of the 2nd lap. When a group of boats including Albreight had taken the right side down the run and had closed right up by the bottom mark. Albreight rounded the mark 2nd in front of a tightly packed bunch but was soon overtaken by Wales who was to hold onto 2nd place to the finish, with Albreight 3rd. Greenhalge never looked back and was in control of the whole race and won with a convincing lead. 1st Pete Greenhalge GBR 2nd Jerry Wales GBR 3rd Lee Albrecht GBR Overall Results after Race 6; two days left. Overall, Greenhalge now has a commanding lead, with Dickinson 2nd and Cummins 3rd. A characteristic of the event is the very close racing right the way through the fleet in what so far is generally light and difficult conditions. The forecast for tomorrow(Thursday) is more of the same. 1st Pete Greenhalge GBR 10 Points 2nd Tim Dickenson GBR 21 Points 3rd Dave Cummings GBR 27 Points 4th Jerry Wales GBR 30 Points 5th Steve Butcher GBR 31 Points