RS Winter Championships

Reports and results for some chilly racing for the RS200s, RS300s and RS600s

Gul RS 200 Winter Championships, Pete Vincent reports:

The Gul RS200 season kicked off in fine style with 50 boats producing some really hot racing in some fantastic winds for the Gul Winter Championships. Draycote Water SC were fine hosts. With strong winds from the northeast the wind chill was huge.

Saturday had plenty of blue skies but very chilly. The breeze was a gusty 18 knots for race 1 but gradually eased all day so the final race finished in 10-12 knots.

With many new crew combinations for this season the Gul Winter Champs was going to be an early guide to form for the coming season. Old hands, ex National Champions Tom and Jo Hewitson, looked to be carrying on from their Inland Nationals victory at the end of last season in race1.

The Hewitsons made no mistake in race 2, having a good lead at first mark. Pickard/Taylor were secure in second with Sue Antonell/Jo Lloyd third and Marshall and Heather King fourth,

Hewitsons were at it again in race 3 to win from Andy Robertson/Maggot King (Bowmoor) in second, Dunn/Vidal third and Paul Dorer/Ian Robertson,in fourth.

Sunday had even clearer skies, more wind and even bigger wind chill factor. The wind progressively built from 17 knots to 23 knots.

Ronnie Millar and Jane Furness lead race 4. Mike Saul/Sophie Hartley also were in the hunt with the Hewitsons in close company. These three pulled miles clear and the Hewitsons won, from Saul/Hartley and Millar/Furness.

The Hewitsons won race 5 comfortably from Dunn/Vidal with Micky Wright/Howie Enkal (Maylandsea) scoring a fine third.

Race 6 Pickard/Taylor pulled out a massive victory margin. Greenland/Williams claimed second. Third was a good overall victory for the Hewitsons. A new team Dunn/Vidal claimed second overall in their first event together.

At all circuit events and championships this year the top three overall in the silver and bronze divisions will get sponsors vouchers. Andy Peake/Lynne Ratcliffe won the silver in their first RS200 event. Matt and Emma Jenkins from Sheffield Viking won the bronze division in 19th overall in the oldest boat in the fleet.

The Fat Face Racing Circuit kicks off on March 12/13 at Bristol Corinthain YC, it promises to be storming

	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	Joanna Hewitson	Jo Hewitson	OCS	1	1	1	1	3	7
2	Steve Dunn	Noelle Vidal	2	OCS	3	5	2	5	17
3	Ian Pickard	Sarah Taylor	OCS	2	11	4	6	1	24
4	James Stewart	Lucy Matthews	1	6	14	7	4	14	32
5	John Greenland	Pippa Williams	3	8	16	27	5	2	34
6	Marshall King	Heather King	OCS	4	6	10	8	7	35
7	P Vincent	Tessa Nicholls	4	10	5	15	15	4	38
8	Andrew Peake	Lynne Ratcliffe	6	9	23	8	9	9	41
9	Andy Robertson	Maggot King	5	OCS	2	16	11	8	42
10	Paul Dorer	Ian Robertson	9	7	4	17	DNC	6	43
11	Mike Saul	Sophie Hartley	10	13	13	2	22	10	48
12	Jonathan Lewis	Katy Nichol	DNC	5	10	19	10	12	56
13	Trudie Danbury	Karen Baker	7	11	19	6	14	20	57
14	Ian Martin	Claire Booth	19	14	7	12	33	11	63
15	Sue Antonell	Jo Lloyd	8	3	22	22	28	13	68
16	Martin English	Zara Flynn	15	OCS	12	13	13	18	71
17	Mike Chapman	Sheridan Killwick	13	16	18	9	18	19	74
18	Micky Wright	Howie Enkel	18	23	27	11	3	DNC	82
19	Matt Jenkins		22	21	20	18	7	17	83
20	Josh Gebhard	Tom Jeffrey	14	DNC	15	24	17	16	86
21	S Howell	James Rodgers	20	20	28	21	20	24	105
22	Simon Gillow	Kate Gillow	16	18	29	28	19	25	106
23	Sarah Allan	Jan	17	OCS	17	OCS	12	15	112
24	Liam Pike	Kita Carpenter	28	29	26	DNC	16	23	122
25	Peter Craggs	Phil Nelson	32	28	25	33	23	21	129
26	Mike Burgione	Jo Field	12	17	31	20	DNC	DNC	131
27	P Goodwin	A Row	25	22	35	25	29	DNC	136
28	Sarah Covington	Helen Clarke	21	38	33	DNC	32	22	146
29	Ronald Millar	Jane Furness	OCS	OCS	21	3	24	DNC	150
30	Chris Moore	Pete Herd	37	33	43	30	25	26	151
31	Gary Stuart	Emma Rhodes	31	31	34	35	21	DNC	152
32	Katy Shepherd	Dan Phillips	34	27	37	29	27	DNC	154
33	Wayne Fletcher	Debra Fletcher	35	15	24	31	DNC	DNC	156
34	Paula Irish	Guy Fillmore	26	35	32	14	DNC	DNC	158
35	Paul Williamson	Helen Williamson	23	19	30	37	DNC	DNC	160
36	Dave Milner	Debra Milner	30	34	DNC	23	26	DNC	164
37	Tony Witham	Mandie Neal	39	25	36	34	30	DNC	164
38	Lol Hayward	Sarah Webb	36	37	38	36	31	27	167
39	Charles Muir	Jane Sands	29	24	40	26	DNC	DNC	170
40	Patrick Altoft	Deborah Greenland	OCS	12	8	DNC	DNC	DNC	173
41	Colin Staite	Emma Clarke	11	OCS	9	OCS	DNC	DNC	173
42	Ian Mairs	Tally Watson	24	26	41	DNC	DNC	DNC	193
43	S Sergeant	C Oakley	33	30	39	DNC	DNC	DNC	204
44	Melissa Storey	Peter Franklin	27	DNC	DNC	32	DNC	DNC	212
45	Martin Peters	Annette Peters	42	32	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	227
46	Barry Milburn	Sally Milburn	43	39	44	DNC	DNC	DNC	228
47	Tony Vance	Karen Vance	40	36	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	229
48	Ashley Fry	Catherine Fry	38	40	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	231
49	David Harbour	Helen Harbour	41	DNC	42	DNC	DNC	DNC	236
50	Brett Aarons	Lisa Anderson	OCS	OCS	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	255

Gul RS 600 Winter Championships:

This years GUL winter championship was held at Rutland Water Sailing club. The weekend started off bright and sunny with a bitterly cold Force 4 to 5 wind, later developing snow flurries.

The first race started with Charlie Stowe taking an early lead only to capsize at the windward mark. Richard Leech then led the fleet for much of the race until Andy Heissig over took him at the final windward mark as Richard went for a swim. This trend followed as Andy also took a swim followed by Jamie Mawson. This allowed Charlie to pull though and take first place followed by Andy and Jamie.

Race 2 stated in slightly lighter winds which allowed Jamie having a good start to lead. Charlie after 2 laps caught Jamie up as the wind started to freshen again taking the lead on the third beat.

Race 3 saw the fleet get a clean start, with a 30-degree wind shift most of the fleet over stood the windward mark. Charlie managing to lead for the whole race despite a couple of swims at the gybe mark providing him with his 3rd bullet of the day.

Sunday saw a forecast of stronger winds 24 to 28 knots and colder conditions. The race officer decided to only run 2 races back to back however the fleet voted with their feet and decided it was too cold, so racing was cancelled for the day. This decision proved to be a wise decision as winds built beyond the forecast.

Final positions were Charlie Stowe 1st, Jamie Mawson 2nd, Pete Saunders 3rd, with Rich Adams receiving the merit award and 4th overall.

Thanks to GUL our event sponsor and Rutland S.C. for an excellent organised event and good race management.

	Helm	R1	R2	R3
1	Charlie Stowe	1	1	1	3
2	Jamie Mawson	3	2	3	8
3	Peter Sanders	4	3	4	11
4	Rich Adams	7	4	2	13
5	Andy Heissig	2	6	6	14
6	Richard Leech	8	5	5	18
7	David Nunn	6	7	7	20
8	Alex Knight	5	DNF	8	24
9	Wayne Hancox	DSQ	8	9	28
10	Fred Lord	DNF	DNS	DNS	33

Gul RS300 Winter Championships, Greg Barton reports:

A hardcore of 9 RS300 Sailors braved the cold Northerly Force 5 for the RS Winter Championships at Rutland.

Race one saw the fleet split in two battling up opposite sides of the first beat with all nine boats converging at the windward mark in close formation, before some dramatic synchronised capsizing/ Matt Sargent went on to win the first race followed by Gary Fryer, Cliff Shaw, Steve Bolland and Richard Pelley.

Race two followed almost immediately, Pelley staging a dramatic somersault out of the boat as he missed the toestraps! Fryer took victory in the second race, followed by Sargent, John Carron, Shaw and Greg Barton.

Sargent romped away to victory in the final race of the day pursued by Carron, Shaw and Pelley. All enjoying the some truly eye opening experiences on the downwind legs.

After day one all were effusive in their praise for the excellent courses set by the Race Officer and were quickly warming up in the bar. Unfortunately Day 2 saw the conditions worsening and a substantially lower temperature, which led to the early conclusion of the winter championships, and Matt Sargent taking the winter title.

Next stop: Queen Mary SC 16th/17th April.

	Helm	R1	R2	R3
1	Matt Sargent	1	2	1	4
2	C M Shaw	3	4	3	10
3	John Carron	7	3	2	12
4	Gary Fryer	2	1	DNF	13
5	Steve Bolland	4	6	5	15
6	Richard Pelley	5	DNS	4	19
7	Greg Barton	9	5	7	21
8	C Gandy	8	7	6	21
9	Chris Hart	6	DNS	DNS	26