Gusty and shifty

The RS800 Winter Championship took place at Grafham water last weekend

The Gul RS 800 Winter Championships were particularly well named as we shivered in between races on the Sunday. With the forecast looking like a floating match, Grafham Water Sailing Club completely excelled by providing two days of twin wiring wind, much to the delight of the 20 boats that lined up on the start line.

Dusting off the real and proverbial cobwebs from rigging and boat handling was the order of the day with Rob Watson and James Holmes taking an early bath as their trapeze line snapped on the first beat. Thank goodness James was wearing a World Class Sailing top, which I'm sure prevented the early onset of hyperthermia.

After a quick practice start and general recall just to get us in the swing of racing after the winter recess, the Race Officer Simon, sent us off in an oscillating pattern of shifts with the right paying for any that dared.

Spod and Jane Olive (Harken and Sola Team) took the early lead when they tacked off to the right and had a huge lift up to the top mark with Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel (Magic Marine Team) and Paddy Gamble and Fiona Lockwood just behind. The pattern turned out to be hit the right, proven by Spod and Jane who experimented with the centre of the course allowing Steve and Martin and Paddy and Fiona to storm past on the penultimate upwind leg to take the lead.

Race two saw the Race Officer dusting off his black flag and getting the fleet away cleanly with Paddy and Fiona leading the pack. By leg two the fleet had separated out with Paddy and Fiona leading from Steve and Martin and Spod and Jane. This time it proved to be a bit of a convoy with each boat looking for the gains in the gusts down wind, gybe setting at the mark.

On the last leg Paddy and Fiona followed by Steve and Martin both went for a gybe set (it had worked every time before) with Spod and Jane spotting a gust over on the left of the course and with nothing to lose broke away from the leading pair. Watching the opposition twin wiring on the other side of the course when you are still sitting in the boat is never fun and the leading pair had to fume quietly while Spod and Jane sneaked into the lead to take the bullet.

It was obvious that race three was one Steve and Martin wanted to win. Having lead from the start they extended their lead and forced Spod and Jane to sit in their dirty air all around the course. Bullet number two for the Magic Marine team.

The intensity of the racing and the wind proved to be a shock for most with many sneaking away for an early night leaving the 200 sailors to obscure the dance floor…. Definitely time to get into training for the busy season ahead.

Sunday greeted us with continuous rain and a force three. All three races proved to be a bit of a match race between Steve and Martin and Spod and Jane, both trying to foot off over the other to dominate. The wind had strengthened and the wind chill had increased but this was 800 sailing at it's best with twin wiring up and down wind in flat water. A hotter temperature was all we would asked for.

Race four saw Ian Martin and Claire Booth (Sail for Cancer) take an early lead by taking the right hand side of the course but Spod and Jane and Steve and Martin managed to overhaul the pair on the down wind leg. An aggressive mark rounding by Spod left them paddling hard to right their boat. Much to the amusement of the fleet bearing down on them but to their credit had it up and only lost one place, managing to stay ahead of the giggling pack. Rather than trail after those two Spod and Jane headed for the left hand corner and managed to catch up to Steve's Coat tails. However, his constant covering held them off from over taking to take the bullet.

Further back, the race for fourth was on. Neil Ashby and Roz Allen overtook paddy and Fiona on the downward leg to edge 20 yards ahead by the bottom mark and in Paddy’s determination to regain fourth kept the kite up trying to carry it across the line , unfortunately for him and fortunately for Neil and Roz there was a 400 in the way and the gust from hell , which left a 400 covered in a new yellow spinnaker and forced Paddy and Fi to take fifth.

The black flag was out again for race five. Once again the left hand side of the course was paying with some big shift up near the top mark and the pressure filling in from that side. Spod and Jane took an early lead with Steve and Martin close behind. Spod and Jane kept them at bay until the last leg when they went for a gybe set to hit pressure that failed to materialize. Meanwhile Steve and Martin twin wired to the finish in the strong wind on the left had side of the course.

Race six, and this time Spod and Jane were taking no prisoners and managed to foot off over Steve and Martin from the start line forcing them to go right up the beat. After banging the right corner they rounded well ahead of the fleet and then maintained the lead from Steve and Martin, defending upwind and down to take the bullet.

But the race wasn’t without incident for the Magic Marine boys… With an event win imminent they rounded the top mark with style. Having cut the corner a little fine the dagger board wrapped it self round the anchor line and almost caused a pitch pole.

A big shift on the last leg allowed all the boats to twin wire to the finish,an awesome sight to see. Paddy and Neil battled hard again for third place with Paddy maintaining the inside track and beating Neil to the finish.

A fabulous event all round and to top it off Gul’s representative, Guy Morse, handed out the glassware and the generously donated gift vouchers.

Congratulations to Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel who continue to reign as champions of the fleet, and here’s to an action packed season ahead.

Results:

1-Steve Irish and Martin Gotrel
2-Spod Olive and Jane Olive
3-Paddy Gamble and Fiona Lockwood
4-Neil Ashby and Rozalyn Allen
5-James Ross and Heather Back
6-Ian Martin and Claire Booth
7-Keith Willis and Bonnie Moody
8-Ben Schooling and Tim Hirst
9-Sam Neal and Alayne Seymour
10-Matthew Sharman and Stephen Crenshaw