Fat Face RS200 Open at Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club

Action from the RS200 open at Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club © Tom Halhead

Action from the RS200 open at Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club © Garry Packer

Blustery, very hard work, but huge fun

After a severe gale saw paid to the Fat Face event at Carsington two weeks ago the RS200 Fat Face Racing Circuit got off to a fantastic start when 18–24 knots of wind gave a 43 boat fleet some very exciting racing. Race Officer Rhys Lankester and his team made great use of the conditions to set really true courses. This included ideal setting of the two leeward mark gate just in front of the clubhouse, which gave hours of entertainment to spectators and race committee with some spectacular action and plenty of spills. Some of the sailing down wind in some of the big gusts will not be forgotten in a hurry and kept the rescue boat crews very busy.

The wind on Saturday was due south which was obviously well to the liking of 2002 National Champions Tom and Jo Hewitson who scored 1.2.1 from the three races including murdering the fleet in the first race by a huge margin. Current National Champion David Giles gave a great talk to the fleet in the early evening after sailing, followed by great meal, Bristol CYC had done us proud again. Then something strange happened at an RS200 event, a fairly quiet evening followed with no big party. Everyone was knackered from a huge day happy to sit down, sup beer and talk about a great days sailing.

Sunday saw the wind move to the southwest, be more blustery and keep on trying to go west. Lee Sydenham and Ann Vaudrey, having being the only boat to beat the Hewitsons on Saturday, found turbo power and put in a superb display to score 2.2.1. The Hewitsons though won the first race of the day and then scored two fourths to win the event by a point from Sydenham and Vaudrey.

David Giles/Fiona Clark scored very consistently without quite finding top form to finish third but 9 points behind. Steve Dunn/Claire Upton Brown survived a very dodgy start when hitting the ejector button on the very first start with Steve falling out the back of the boat 20 seconds to go. A race win in the fifth race and four top six finishs gave them 4th overall. The Harken boat of Jon Lewis and Mad Millie Parsons also survived a very watery start line in the fourth race to recover to 8th which they counted along with 4 top four finishs to finish fifth overall.

Sixth, seventh and eighth went to home club boats with Trudie Danbury/Graeme Ryder in the LUK boat eclipsing their fatter and more experienced colleagues with a great display of Doris power on Sunday with a score of 3.5.7. Ugly Vincent/Eluned Jones in 7th and Captain Jean Luc Pickard/Noelle Vidal in 8th were left trailing in her wake.

In ninth and first youth were Matt Greenfield and Catrina Nichol who sailed extremely well in the conditions for such a light combination.

The Magic Marine boat of Steve Irish did not make the overall prizes when a broken main halyard and rule disagreements cost him dear. His boat did walk off with some prizes though when his wife Paula won the champagne moment for forgetting his birthday. His crew Matt Gotrel won the merit prize for doing the whole of race 2 with the spin halyard cleat broken yet still flying the kite by holding the spinnaker halyard in one hand and spinnaker sheet in the other.

Many crews left BCYC for the trip home extremely broken but very happy with rosy cheeks.

Overall Results: