RS Vareo Racing Circuit at Northampton Sailing Club

14 Vareos for the Northampton Racing Circuit event © Anthony York / www.chunkypics.co.uk

Fourteen Vareos attended the Northampton sailing club open meeting on July 18/19. With an adverse local forecast for Sunday, the race team decided to hold four races on Saturday afternoon and two on Sunday morning.

Saturday was sunny, brisk and gusty, and in the first two races there was quite a toll of capsizes and minor gear damage and Sunday's races were completed just before even bigger squalls and rain came over which sent the local club sailors scurrying for shelter. Richard Kemp-Salt was struggling with a back injury and after a number of capsizes was unable to complete a race.

At the head of the fleet, Northampton’s Chris Larr gave a masterclass in the conditions with five firsts and a third obtained when he was struck by an unexpected shift and gust as approaching the committee boat in the third race and capsized spoiling what would otherwise have been a perfect six. Matt Yallop from Middle Nene followed him round with four seconds and two thirds, and Richard Willows scraped into third place by dint of some high speed final downwind legs.

Every competitor had a least one capsize, and a number of competitors lowered their finishing place in two races by failing to count the number of laps properly, but everyone enjoyed some excellent downwind sailing which showed the Vareos performing at their very best. Special congratulations to Peter Hall from Severn Sailing Club, the youngest competitor by some distance who overcame the handicap of normally sailing on a river to sail very creditably.

Many thanks to Ian Castle and his team for the race management, and the club caterer for an excellent meal on Saturday night.

Overall Results: