Three out of three for Stewart and Lewis

A report from the latest round of the RS 200 Racing Circuit at HISC

Trying to remind themselves that this was actually July - 56 RS200s gathered at Hayling Island, along with the RS400s and RS800s, for round 8 of the National Racing Circuit. The last big event before the real major event of the summer, the GUL RS200 Nationals (3 spaces left). The big breeze of the morning had eased so the race teams were happy to take the fleets out into Hayling Bay.

After the now compulsory starting practice, Race 1 started in 18-21 knots of breeze with a confused sea that made upwind hard work with no distance to work with between the steep chop. Whatever James Stewart/Toby Lewis had for breakfast everyone should have it; once they got past just Rob/Jan Martin they just disappeared, Nick Charles/Helen Wightman won the fight with David/Jane Hivey for second. Although 39 boats finished and the 200 fleet clearly were coping with the conditions the race team signalled they were taking the fleet ashore. It soon became clear why as we sailed past many 400/800s being towed in with very sad looking masts, the poor flowers had capsized a lot and the rescue boats were stretched.

With significantly more wind forecast for Sunday the race team decided to bring the start time forward to 10.00 so they had the option to race inside the harbour on the top of the tide. This of course did not stop the RS family partying hard.

Sunday and that rare thing the sun, did say hello but there was already 20-24 knots out in the bay with more expected, so the alternative plan was put into action. Luckily because of the poor weather and forecast there was very little other boating activity in the harbour, which was just as well, as approx 80-90 asymmetrics now filled the main channel, not always fully in control! The race team kindly placed the windward & spacer marks in the lee of the club house giving the spectators a great view. The trick was to hoist & gybe before the big gusts got you. In 20-22 knots James Stewart/Tobytastic again took control of race 2 to win with the same second and third places behind them. The last run became very lively and gybe corners became a graveyard. Race 3 and the wind had become a tad feisty at a steady 25/26 knots with some real long periods of extra wind on top. Most crews who took part will talk about downwind for a very long time; half the fleet did finish. The Hivey’s led but went splat on a gybe leaving James and Tobytastic to score their third win with James Boyce/Sam Tozer second and Sam Littlejohn/Marianthe Evangelidis third.

And that was wisely it with the wind still rising and sandbanks rapidly appearing.

John Teague/Ali Lucas just won the silver division from the Martins scoring glorious sixth and seventh overall. Emma Johnson/Paul Weeden won the bronze division in 24th overall from Matt Sheahan/Kim Tipple.

So it is off next weekend to Carnac for the RS Eurocup followed a couple of weeks later by the GUL RS200 Nationals at Looe. There are now 127 entries and there are only 3 spaces left, we will hit the 130 boat limit before the late entry surcharge even becomes a factor. The only way you can now enter is to ring RS Association Administrator Debbie Darling.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	Tot
1	James Stewart	Toby Lewis	RYA	1	1	1	3
2	Nick Charles	Helen Wightman	Littleton	2	2	4	8
3	James Boyce	Sam Tozer	Papercourt	4	7	2	13
4	David Hivey	Jane Hivey	WLYC	3	3	7	13
5	Steve Dunn	Sheena Craig	RYA	6	4	9	19
6	John Teague	Ali Lucas	Bristol	12	5	6	23
7	Rob Martin	Jan Martin	Burghfield	5	12	10	27
8	Sam Littlejohn	Marianthe Evangelidis	Lancing	15	10	3	28
9	Chris Martin	Juliet Charles	Burghfield	7	6	19	32
10	Ian Pickard	Vicky Fairhurst	RYA	8	29	5	42
11	Alan Roberts	Chris O'Neil	HISC	9	18	18	45
12	Frances Peters	Eilidh McIntyre	HISC	11	9	26	46
13	Colin Smith	Alice Masterman	HISC	14	20	12	46
14	Clive Eplett	Alex Young	Frensham Pond	17	19	11	47
15	Ian Sharps	Katy Nichol	Burghfield	16	24	8	48
16	Katrina Gilbert	Jenny Rust	FPSC	25	16	15	56
17	Roy McCubbin	Kirsty McJeveney	Strathclyde LSC	22	21	16	59
18	Ian Dobson	Hannah Yuil	Burwain SC	19	35	20	74
19	Simon Gillow	Kate Gillow	Chipstead SC	27	26	22	75
20	Fiona Hall	Lina Haines	Littleton	33	27	17	77
21	Ian Mairs	Tally Watson	PYC	37	23	23	83
22	Maia Walsh	Peter Bentley	Cardiff YC	24	37	24	85
23	Paul Rigg	Claire Booth	ELYC	13	17	56.0 DNC	86
24	Emma Johnson	Paul Weeden	South Cerney	30	33	27	90
25	Tim Ellis	Charlotte Cotter	Broadstairs SC	56.0 DNF	22	13	91
26	Steve Restall	Judy Restall	Downs SC	21	15	56.0 DNC	92
27	Pete Vincent	Tessa Nicholls	Bristol Corinthian YC	23	14	56.0 DNC	93
28	Claire Walsh	Jasmin Husband	BCYC	35	36	25	96
29	Elliott Pason	Peter Matthews	University Exceter	36	11	56.0 DNC	103
30	Caroline Martin	Nick Martin	Burghfield	39	13	56.0 DNC	108
31	Trudie Fell	Rachel Dunn	Burghfield	56.0 DNC	38	14	108
32	Andrew Boyce	Sue Michelmore	Papercourt	56.0 DNC	34	21	111
33	Henry Maxfield	Lucy Preston	HISC	34	25	56.0 DNC	115
34	Charlotte Savage	Darren Mcnamara	BCYC	56.0 DNF	8	56.0 BFD	120
35	Andrew Peters	Jeraldine Peters	Queen Mary SC	10	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	122
36	Matt Sheahan	Kim Tipple	Netley	38	32	56.0 DNC	126
37	Edward Fitzgerald	Katy Jones	HISC/ISC	18	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	130
38	Russell Peters	Suzy Peters	HISC	20	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	132
39	Paul Lynch	Jo Brown	Lancing SC	26	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	138
40	Steven Greaves	Sarah Hamly	Rickmansworth SC	56.0 DNC	28	56.0 DNC	140
41	Matt Coleman	Debs Coleman	Weston	28	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	140
42	Chris Gould	Alice Moore	Stokes	29	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	141
43	Ellie Martin	Katharine Lovering	Burghfield	56.0 DNC	30	56.0 DNC	142
44	Tracy Jacobs	Katie Restall	HISC	56.0 DNF	31	56.0 DNC	143
45	Wes Kangurs	Jo Kangurs	BCYC	31	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	143
46	Andrea Ralph	Colin Ralph	HISC	32	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	144
47	Matt Greenfield	David Rolfe	Littleton SC	56.0 DNF	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	J-P Snelling	Charlie Williams	HISC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Paul Teague	Patrica Teague	Bristol CYC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Cameron Davis	Carolyn Davis	Papercourt	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Rob Struckett	Sophie Knight	Itchenor SC	56.0 DNF	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Peter Bunch	Eddie Glennie		56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Ossie Stewart	Cameron Stewart	HISC	56.0 DNF	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Sarah Green	David Green	Llandegfedd	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168
47	Chris Appleton	Naomi Pound	BCYC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	56.0 DNC	168