Results / Inland Championship Rutland SC - 15/10/2005

GUL RS700 INLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 25 RS700�s travelled to Rutland sailing club for the Gul Sponsored Inland Championships on the weekend of 15th/16th October. Saturday gave the fleet a very gusty and shifty breeze in which to do battle. The race officer set a short course which gave intense racing and no time for a breather downwind. Continual gusts and shifts meant that it was a game of snakes and ladders for the fleet, with places easily lost and gained. Andy White read the shifts well to win the first race of the day followed by Leigh Albrecht in second. Dave Cummins overtook a damp Matt Humphreys at the final leeward mark to take third. Race 2 saw most of the main contenders tack on a large shift and sail out to the right of the course. This looked to be paying hugely when they tacked onto the starboard layline, but it was not to be. The wind shifted back lifting the rest of the fleet into the mark in front, causing much cursing from those who went right. White however was immune to the shifts and went on to win followed by Jon Heissig in second and Dave Smithwhite in third. Race 3 saw the breeze increase slightly. Richard Smith led for a large part of the race, battling with Heissig and White. Smith couldn�t hold on however and the eventual finishing order was White followed by Heissig and then Smith. Sunday dawned to a strange combination of wind and fog. Racing was postponed for an hour to allow the fog to clear, the then fun began on a longer course than the previous day and more breeze. White won race 4 and 5 to obliterate the competition and take the title of RS700 Inland Champion 2005. However the battle for the places behind him was closely fought. In race 4 there were place changes and mini match races going on all over the shop but it was Andy Irons and his antique kite (closely resembling a sieve) that came through to take second followed by Tim Dickinson in third and Humphreys in fourth. Race 5 was more of the same going right down to the wire on the final run. Humphreys came in second with Tim Dickinson third and Jon Heissig fourth. Special mention must be made of the close relationship which developed between the 700 Class Rep, Alex Newton-Southen and the windward mark, which saw him drop down from 3rd to a convincing last. Race 6 began in the best breeze of the day, which built throughout the race. At the windward mark it was Duncan Ellis who led from Humphreys and Albrecht. After an interesting run with Ellis pushing Humphreys and Albrecht past the layline, the order at the leeward mark was Albrecht, Humphreys, Ellis. Albrecht and Humphreys then stretched away into a considerable lead, enough of a lead for them to start match racing up the final beat. Humphreys came out on top at the final windward mark only to be taken out by an RS800 on the final run to the finish. This allowed Albrecht to win and Cummins to pass into second. Humphreys recovered to finish third. Overall Andy White won but the next five places were covered by just 7 points. The C2 Marine prize, which was awarded for the furthest distance travelled, went Maurice Clarke. Thanks go to the Rutland SC and the race officer for some great racing and fast turn around between races and to Gul for their continued support.