Singlehanders together

The RS600 and 300 combined National Championships are underway

19 RS600s arrived at the South Caernarfonshire Yacht Club in Abersoch for the 2008 National Championships. Amongst the fleet were the previous two national champions, plus some new and old faces.

Wednesday’s training day was a bit of a disaster due to high winds and heavy rain. Despite this, seven hardy souls took to the water to show the RS300 fleet how it should be done. Dave Annan broke himself and Olly Straker managed to snap his mast. There was no safety cover so Olly was heroically rescued by George Smith who towed Olly back to shore.

Race one started in eight knots of breeze and sunshine from a very port biased line. Olly Straker led the race from the start, chased hard by Christian Reynolds, Ian Marshall and James Sainsbury (who had managed to get out on the water despite putting a hole in his boat whilst launching). Straker maintained his lead until the final reach of the Olympic style course when Reynolds rolled over the top of him very close to the final mark to take the win. Straker was second and Ian Marshall third.

The conditions were very similar at the start of race two. Most of the fleet started at the pin end again and headed off to the left. Olly Straker and Jon Bradbury headed off to the right after a bad start which paid off. Reynolds reached the windward mark first with Bradbury second and Straker third. Straker overtook Bradbury on the reach and then Reynolds while going upwind. Straker won, Reynolds second with Marshall third after a big luffing match between the top three. David Annan worked his way up the fleet to take fourth.

The wind dropped slightly and become patchy and shifty for the start of race three. The fleet spread fairly evenly across the course. Bradbury, Annan and Straker headed to the right. Annan impeded Straker and was forced to do a penalty turn which dropped him down the fleet. Straker reached the windward mark first with Sainsbury second and Reynolds third. Straker lost five places in one leg leaving Reynolds to lead to the finish. Annan miraculously recovered from his penalty turn to pull back up through the fleet to take second with Marshall third. Sainsbury beat Straker to fourth place and emerging talent Bradbury fifth.

RS300

After the fleet training session on Wednesday it was time to put the knowledge gained into effect as the Gul RS300 National Championship kicked off.

After the 50+ gusts which assailed Abersoch the day before it was a relief that the fleet was rewarded with bright sunshine and a pleasant 12 knot south-westerly. Almost like summer in fact.

A heavily port-biased startline caused some mayhem at the pin end and some choice language in race one. However, Ian Smith extricated himself better than most to lead the fleet away and at the first mark ahead of Steve Bolland and Ben Yeats.

Yeats came through at the wing mark with a beautiful gybe and stayed ahead on the broad second reach as the rest of the fleet closed up. Showing unbelievable fitness, Bolland pulled through on the second beat, a lead which he held to the finish. Yeats finished second ahead of Will Crocker in third just ahead of a gaggle of boats including Smith, Nathan Poulton and Steve Fisher.

It was another port-biased line for race two but everyone was much better behaved this time. Richard LeMare and Neil Beveridge arrived at the windward mark together. By the end of the reaches, though, Bolland had shown the benefit of getting practice in on the lumpy stuff and had taken the lead. Andrew Ritchie was also showing impressive downwind form to move into second place.

The top two positions remained the same over the final two laps with Bolland and Ritchie finishing ahead of Crocker, Smith, Poulton and Beveridge.

Race three saw slightly less wind and slightly less line bias, too, creating a good clean start. Crocker took best advantage of the wind going left at the end of the first beat and led the fleet down the first, tight, fast reach ahead of LeMare, Yeats and Bolland in short order.

Bolland once again moved into the lead on the second reach using the waves to good effect with Crocker staying ahead of Yeats who had moved ahead of LeMare.

By the end of the race Bolland had pulled clear and finished ahead of Crocker, Yeats, Ritchie, Fisher and Tim Keen who was finding it all a bit too windy for someone so slender!

With a 25+ knot easterly blowing directly onshore, an early decision was made to can racing for both fleets for the day. However, the fleet is eagerly awaiting the AGM and the traditional curry night this evening.

Results:

RS600

1-Christian Reynolds, 4 points
2-Olly Straker, 8 points
3-Ian Marshall, 9 points
4-James Sainsbury, 13 points
5-David Annan, 16 points
6-Jonathan Powell, 21 points

RS300

1-Steve Bolland, 3 points
2-Will Crocker, 8 points
3-Andrew Ritchie, 12 points
4-Ben Yeats, 14 points
5-Nathan Poulton, 17 points
6-Steve Fisher, 18 points