RS 200 Youth Champs

Helen Rollinson reports on the action at Rutland in early September

This year 24 boats turned up for the Gul Youth Champs which were held at Rutland Sailing Club. We were met by gorgeous sunshine but it was a little lacking on the wind front, but in true RS style the first race wasn't until 1pm so it had a chance to fill in. We headed out to the far end of the lake where the wind was a little more constant, still a very shifty 1-2.

On the first start there weren't many boats behind the line so the race officer wasted no time in getting out the black flag which brought everyone under control. In the first race Chris Duffin and Sophie Hartley were first to the windward mark but after a poor rounding Alex Good and Ben Lister took the lead with Nikki Russell and Paul Dorer close behind. Positions were unchanged at the finish with Josh Gebhard and Tom Jeffrey 3rd and Duffin 4th.

The wind picked up a little for the start of the second race with not much thinking going on between Russell and Dorer when they decided they were a little early and went round the committee boat leading to an unfortunate DSQ. The rest of the fleet made a clean start, with Good leading throughout and Andy Robertson and Christina King in 2nd. In the 3rd race the Vernons lead with Russell in 2nd and Good in 3rd. Much to everyone's frustration the wind dropped completely leading to many people sneakily trying to roll tack their way up the beat, luckily it came back just enough for us to finish with a few place changes. However when we came ashore it was realised that three boats had re-crossed the finish line causing the Vernons to lose their 1st.

After racing Johnathan Lewis kindly did a de-brief for the competitors using video footage from the day and giving us all some useful tips on light wind sailing. A disco followed but not a lot of dancing was done until just before the DJ packed up, and no-one seemed to have quite the power to persuade him to stay for a little longer.

By the time racing started on the Sunday, just enough breeze had come to start a race with the race officer wasting no time with the first start bang on 11am causing a few to be a little late. Jack Norton and Helen Rollinson had a comfortable lead at the windward mark but boats were closing in on them and on the second run were becalmed with boats frustratingly sailing past on both sides only a few boat lengths away! The race was shortened with Good taking it, Camille Parsons and Sam Littlejohn 2nd, Robertson 3rd and Norton 4th. Once the wind had just about settled again a 5th race was started. However the wind did not want to settle causing a lot of place changing. The race finished with a new pair in 1st, Matt Greenfield and Katrina Nichol, with the Vernons in 2nd.

After the wind decided to desert us completely the last race was abandoned much to everyone's relief, especially the overall winners Alex Good and Ben Lister who gave the water a good temperature test, joined by many others on the long way in. Despite the lack of wind, it was a great event with a good turnout from within the RS fleet, and many borrowing boats and joining us from other fleets, and there were plenty of prizes.

	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Tot
1	Alex Good	Ben Lister	1	1	2	1	8	5
2	Andrew Roberson	Christina King	DSQ	2	1	3	6	12
3	Matt Greenfield	Katrina Nichol	14	5	5	6	1	17
4	Mad Milly Parsons	Sam Littlejohn	9	10	7	2	5	23
5	Peter Gray	Helen Williamson	7	14	4	5	9	25
6	Jack Norton	Helen Rollinson	6	12	6	4	11	27
7	Josh Gebhard	Tom Jeffrey	3	6	DNF	19	3	31
8	Daniel Vernon	Sean Vernon	5	3	DNF	22	2	32
9	Loopy Lucy Matthews	Peter Matthews	11	8	9	18	4	32
10	Chris Duffin	Sophy Hartley	4	7	DSQ	21	7	39
11	Ben Crompton	Kate Robinson	18	9	11	7	12	39
12	Ian Roberson	Sam Jackson	12	11	10	8	10	39
13	Nikki Russell	Paul Darer	2	DSQ	3	16	21	42
14	Rosie Sands	Jessica Blick	10	13	13	10	18	46
15	Tom Crompton	Peter Morrison	8	16	12	DSQ	16	52
16	Stuart Hopson	Kerry Plested	15	23	8	12	20	55
17	Nic Jones	Charlotte Jones	22	20	14	9	14	57
18	Mitch Webb	Sam Rowe	16	17	16	14	15	61
19	Megan Burrough	Paddy Blight	13	15	17	17	19	62
20	Jemima Cooper	Ian Mayhew	21	18	DNF	13	13	65
21	Nick Marshall	Fi Foulkes	20	4	DSQ	DNF	17	66
22	Emma Clarke	Jeremy Littlejohn	17	21	18	11	24	67
23	Jenny Bailey	Holly Gray	19	22	15	15	23	71
24	Keith Renz	Anna Renz	23	19	DSQ	20	22	84