Race Report Day 1

Glorious sunshine and a perfect 10 knot breeze welcomed the 51 competitors for the  2007 Gul RS700 National Championship at Royal Torbay Yacht Club. 

Mark Nicholson led the fleet up the first beat first going hard left and then sailing to the port layline with Andy White playing the shifts up the middle in second.  Mark gybed off at the  top mark whilst Andy followed by Pete Purkiss, Paul Bayliss and Steve Butcher sailed on to what was the favoured side of the run and made some big gains.  Andy White then proceeded to build a comprehensive lead and was never challenged with Paul Bayliss taking Steve Butcher for second and Pete Purkiss 4th.

Steve Butcher spotted a shift in the line and took advantage of a gap at the pin end to port tack the fleet and led out to the favoured right hand side of the course.  He continued to lead at the windward mark followed by Tim Johnson, Andy White and Paul Bayliss.  Steve played the right hand side of the run and held the lead but it was Dave Smithwhite who made the biggest gains by going left down the run.  Steve led Dave by 4-5 boat lengths at the final windward  mark and although Dave managed to sneak through at one stage in the dying breeze, it was Steve who pulled through to take gun.

The fleet gathered in the evening for a rules seminar by our RYA judge Peter Fitt and the class meeting before presenting  the Seasure golden rudder stocks to the overnight leaders, Steve Butcher in the gold and Ed Reeves in the silver fleet.  Everyone then enjoyed a hearty supper provided by Harken before seeking alternative amusement on the English Riviera.

Race Report Day 2

A quite depressing scene greeted the fleet with a flat calm in Torbay.   Paul Bayliss gave an excellent talk on championship preparation.  Fortunately by then a light breeze had filled in and the race officer sent the fleet out to play.  Paul Bayliss won the pin end and led the charge to the cliffs where there was more pressure followed by Tim Johnson and Matt Humphries.  On the second beat Matt managed to take Tim Johnson and a right hand shift and almost manage to take the lead.  This was the order for the remainder of the race.

In race 4 it was again Steve Butcher showing some excellent form in the light conditions to lead at the windward mark from Dave Smithwhite and Andy Irons.  Steve and Andy went for the gybe set allowing Dave to go for the straight hoist to sail into clearer air.  Up the next beat Dave went right which allowed Andy to take the lead on a big shift only to lose it again as the wind shifted back.  Andy closed again on the beat but couldn’t quite take the win.  Carl Vining sailed through to take a well deserved third place.

The final race of the day was started in very light conditions.  The right hand side of the course paid and it was Harvey Hillary who tacked first onto the layline.  However Tim Johnson sailing in from the left took the lead whilst Paul Bayliss had deliberately overstood and sailing freer took second place at the windward mark. Tim immediately gybed off and was covered by the fleet which allowed Paul to take the lead and put Harvey in close contention for second.

Race Report Day 3

Another day, another dollar… out with the fickle Southerly breezes and in with a fitful Northerly.  With bright sunshine, the fleet were keenly anticipating a great day on the water.  Come race time, the sea breeze was battling the gradient wind however, and the first race of the day started in just 5 knots of wind.

Decision time.  Go right for the emerging sea breeze or left for the fighting Northerly.  The majority of the fleet elected to go left, with Andy Irons leading the charge for the cliffs.  Halfway up the beat, what little wind there was started to shut off, and at the top mark it was Paul Bayliss going round the mark first, followed by Tim Johnson and Matt Humphries.  The wind remained light down the run with the sea breeze threatening to re-emerge, giving Bayliss a huge lead.   The new windward mark saw Humphries overtaking Johnson to second place in the shortened race.

The second race and the wind was up, with Torbay resembling a Lake Garda with high temperatures, sun and a good F4 wind.  Left was the way to go up the beats, and class chairman, Alex Newton-Southon led the charge over the left hand side of the course.  Paul Bayliss read the final approach to the mark best to narrowly lead Alex down the run.  From here the two boats opened an enormous lead, and the following pack of Andy White, Tim Dickenson and Steve Butcher could only watch and fight their own battles, eventually finishing in that order, with Tim Johnson just behind.

The third race was just as idyllic albeit with just a little less wind, and Bayliss was again in front at the top mark, obviously enjoying the conditions.  Leading the chase was Andy White and Steve Butcher, and a battle ensued downwind between these three.  Despite all the antics, Bayliss remained just in front of White, with these two extending for a significant margin over the chasing boats of Dave Smithwhite, Matt Humphries and Tim Johnson.