RS400 at Lee

Victory for Craig/Bedborough during weekend racing

Lee is Solent is always one of the most popular events on the circuit and this year proved no exception and with a fleet of 47 boats turning up; the promise was for some very close racing. The addition of the annual RS Ball on the Saturday evening no doubt added to the appeal of the event.

Sunny skies and a shifty force 3 welcomed the fleet as they headed out for the start of Race 1. Nick Craig Keith Bedborough began the way they tend to, by making a good start out of the port end of the line, picking up a shift on the left corner of the beat and leading to the windward mark. Closely behind was Tom Halhead and Chris Priest who despite being relative newcomers to the fleet are beginning to make a real impact at the front. Craig and Bedborough though sailed a typically faultless race to keep the fleet behind them and take the win, while Chris Jennings and Ed Nicklin worked their way up to 2nd. Ian Robson and Sandy Johnson from Aldeburgh sailed an excellent race to overtake Halhead and Priest and take 3rd place.

After a pretty quick turnaround race two got underway in a gradually building force 4. Nick Hoct and Derek Hill from Blackpool and Fleetwood made the most of the shifts up the first beat to lead at the windward mark closely followed by the Brothers Grimm. Craig and Bedborough though, having been third at the windward mark showed excellent down wind speed to sail through from 3rd to 1st on the first run where he remained for the rest of the race despite being chased hard by local boys Dan Vincent and Adrian Lynham. The Brothers Grimm decided to cool off by going for a swim up the second beat, allowing Halhead and Priest through to 3rd followed by Robin Kenyon and Toby Lewis. Hywel Roberts Melissa Storey sailed their best race of the weekend to finish 5th.

Race 3 and another bullet for Craig and Bedborough. Having started well at the starboard end, they led to the windward mark and were never really challenged. The battle for second was somewhat closer between the Brothers Grim, Jennings & Nicklin, and Halhead & Priest. It was all to play for on the second downwind leg but after the Brothers Grim scraped around the 2nd leward mark just in front they then pulled away from the chasing pack up the final beat. Jennings and Nicklin won the battle for third whilst Halhead and Priest allowed Vincent and Lynham through on the last run to take 4th.

After a quick change, everyone headed to ‘Explosion’ the museum of naval firepower for the annual RS Dinner Jacket swapping party. It goes something like this; halfway through the evening, all the men take off their dinner jackets and leave them on the back of a chair chosen completely at random. They then get given copious amounts of alcohol by Greg (I’m going to mess the whole fleet up) O’Brien and his private bar. When it’s time to leave you play DJ lucky dip and simply pick up the nearest jacket and go home. Other competitions run during the evening included the great game ‘Guess what on earth Spod has come as’.

Sunday dawned. Our usual correspondents, The Brothers Grimm were unable to take to the water following a mix up with dinner jackets at the RS ball the night before. A funny story which involved a girl, a set of car keys, a modicum of alcohol and a ticket to an 1974 opera concert.

Sunday racing proved to be tricky and challenging. Sailors had to contend with light winds, rainy squalls, big shifts, tidal effects, very bias start lines and black flags.

Race four saw Craig and Bedborough once again leading at the first mark. However, this was not to last owing to the school boy error of not pointing the boat at the next mark. Jennings and Nicklin were first to spot the direction of the next mark and gybed to be followed by fellow Burghfield club mates Middleton/Powell and Pyke/Rubble. The order remain unchanged and sailors from Burghfield dominated the race with a 1,2 and 3 score line.

In race five O’Brien/King came off a bias start line in clear air and with speed to arrive at the windward mark in first position, they maintained the lead and took the bullet. It was becoming obvious that O’Brien’s ploy to poison the fleet with alcohol the night before was beginning to take effect. Craig/Bedborough took second place and clinched an overall event win with a race to spare.

O’Brien/King winning streak continued in race six. Jennings/Nicklin were second and Kenyon/Lewis followed in third.

Notable performances on day two came from the adhoc pairing of Bonsey/Baron and the veteran Prince Bros, both teams sailed consistently well at the front of the fleet despite the tricky conditions.

Craig/Bedborough proved to be worthy winners, dominating the fleet on day one and fighting hard on the second day. Jennings/Nicklin, as always it seems, sailed a very consistent regatta to take second and Halmead/Priest who show