Warm sunshine

The RS200 fleet enjoyed the fantastic weather at Bough Beech

The 25 competitors who came to the Bough Beech South East Area Series RS200 open meeting on 26th April were rewarded with a day of warm sunshine, force three to four winds and superb racing. The fleet got away for the first race at the second attempt and it was tight at the windward mark with James Boyce leading the pack around. Boyce continued to lead to the finish with Steve Dunn and Andrew Peters close behind. Dave Derby was in fourth at the final mark but a snapped halyard ruined his morning.

The second race again was subject to a recall, the boats getting away at the second attempt. Chris Martin was back in the fray having fallen out of his boat in the first race snapping his tiller extension and putting a hole in his mainsail. How he avoided the Bough Beech muffin prize for this only the PRO knows! On the third run Boyce and Peters managed to break away from the rest of the fleet and Boyce recorded his second win of the day, Peters second with Dunn and Martin fighting for third.

The fleet got away at the second attempt for race three with Mike Chapman bravely trying a port tack start. Unfortunately to avoid the fleet he was a boatlength over the line and had to go back. Chris Martin led a tightly bunched fleet round the first mark with Dunn, Peters, Boyce and Derby close behind. Places changed several times down the run as different boats picked up planing gusts. Boyce moved into the lead with Derby never far away in second place. Dunn slipped down the order with a textbook windward capsize rounding the windward mark. Down the final run Derby slipped through to win after Boyce gybed early and Peters came through to take third.

In the final race it was Steve Dunn who got his nose in front to just lead round the first mark. Unfortunately a problem hoisting his spinnaker allowed Derby to shoot through into the lead and Dunn got swallowed up by the chasing pack. As the boats approached the leeward marks Derby rounded in front just ahead of ten boats line abreast between the twin leeward marks. Boyce popped out of the melee in second place but could not shake off his pursuers. While Derby cruised away to a comfortable win the scrap for second was eventually won by Dunn with Martin in third place.