RS800 Fat Face Racing at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy

by Chris Haworth 6 Jul 2005 17:15 BST 2-3 July 2005

RS Fat Face circuit action in Weymouth © Steve Bell / www.fotoboat.com

Thirty seven crews ventured to the recently opened Weymouth and Portland sailing academy last weekend for a Fat Face RS Racing Circuit event and were impressed by the new facilities. Many competitors commented however, on the disappointing design of the ‘club house’ and felt that an opportunity to provide a ‘state of the art’ facility had been missed.

Not withstanding this observation, the race management of the event was excellent, including good start lines and well set windward/leeward courses. The wind was predominately in the west, backing to south-west on Sunday afternoon.

An overcast Saturday morning gave way to a bright afternoon, during which races one to three were dominated by Steve Irish/Martin Gotrel in Magic Marine, who having rounded the first windward mark just behind Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston, in a gently increasing 9 knot breeze, took the lead and never looked back. Haworth/Aston finished second with the improved form of Spod and Jane Olive in Harken/Sola bringing them through the fleet, after an indifferent first beat, to finish third. The second and third races where sailed in 12-15 knots with the first two finishing positions remaining the same in all three races. Despite few passing lanes being evident, especially up wind, with the right hand side of the beat generally ‘paying’ all day, there was close racing for third to 12th positions with much place changing amongst the Olives, Paddy Gamble/Fiona Lockwood, Andy Jeffries/Alyson Ody, David & Fiona Sayce and others.

For race four a glorious sunny Sunday dawned, with winds of around 15 knots. The race was again taken by Irish/Gotrel, although it was a close racing for second to fifth places, with the newly arrived Ben and Jenny Vines taking second, Haworth relegated to third but with David & Fiona Sayce, Ben Schooling & Tim Hirst, and Justin Deal all in the “hunt”.

In race five, Irish and Haworth were both OCS, and a close race saw Olive steal the race from Jeffries on the last run with Andy Cornah and Owin Murray recording their best result of the weekend to finish third. In race six the Irish/Gotrel “luck” finally deserted them and they finished second, allowing Haworth to win with Gamble and Lockwood third, Batchella & Hayward fourth, and the Olives fifth.

Although Irish and Haworth seemed destined to finish first and second from the outset, several new teams emerged in the top 15 with very close racing, many place changes and improved performances and consistency from several teams boding well for future events.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	1058	Steve Irish	Martin Gotrel	1	1	1	1	BFD38	2	6
2	1064	C Haworth	Stu Aston	2	2	2	3	BFD38	1	10
3	1083	Spod Olive	Jane Olive	3	5	DNF38	8	1	5	22
4	985	David Sayce	Fiona Sayce	9	11	3	5	4	9	30
5	1012	Paddy Gamble	Fiona Lockwood	5	4	8	12	DSQ38	3	32
6	943	Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes	Daniel Allin	8	7	7	13	9	8	39
7	860	Andy Jeffries	Allyson Ody	6	8	5	21	2	24	42
8	989	Ben Schooling	Tim Hirst	12	6	6	16	10	13	47
9	1054	Justin Deal	Theo Botha	11	9	20	4	14	14	52
10	1089	Ian Martin	Claire Booth	10	22	12	18	12	7	59
11	962	Nathan Batchella	Ian Haywood	28	24	11	15	11	4	65
12	1011	James Ross	Gareth Russell	19	13	4	14	20	16	66
13	1052	Christian Reynolds	Lucy Jones	21	17	10	23	15	6	69
14	1016	Peter Barton	Sally Wakefield	7	10	9	17	DNF38	26	69
15	881	Andy Cornah	Orwin Murray	33	12	16	NYF38	3	11	75
16	926	Alastair Shires	Penny Shires	17	20	13	20	5	22	75
17	1001	Mike Hart	Sally Kilpatrick	18	21	23.5	6	13	18	76
18	NONO	O Page	T Odell	13	DNF38	DNF38	11	6	12	80
19	955	Andrew Smith	Ashley Davison	4	DNF38	DNF38	7	7	25	81
20	838	Neil Ashby	Ian Parris	16	16	15	25	19	DNF38	91
21	834	Ben Vines	Jenny Vines	DNC38	DNC38	DNC38	2	8	10	96
22	1059	Ralph Singleton	Chris Crabb	30	15	22	28	16	15	96
23	961	Philip King	Ian Robertson	20	14	OCS38	9	DSQ38	17	98
24	991	Malcolm Streeton	Miles Roebuck	15	19	18	24	23	23	98
25	836	Derek Buchanan	Elaine Buchanan	29	27	17	19	17	21	101
26	815	S Ferens	M Humphreys	27	DNF38	19	26	25	19	116
27	1063	D Ching	R Holdway	25	23	21	27	21	DNF38	117
28	941	Chris Catt	Mark Heather	14	18	DNF38	10	DNF38	DNF38	118
29	931	Tom Jeffcoate	Toby Wincer	26	3	14	NYF38	DNF38	DNF38	119
30	1077	Paul Taylor	Julie Taylor	31	26	23.5	29	22	20	120.5
31	1072	Jonathon McGuire	Louisa McGuire	24	25	26	30	26	27	128
32	864	Adrian Coatsworth	Julia Jenkins	23	DNF38	DNF38	22	18	DNF38	139
33	956	Mason Woodworth	Helen Wagstaff	22	28	DNF38	NYF38	DNF38	DNF38	164
34	1000	Simon Smith	Mark Westley	32	29	27	NYF38	DNF38	DNF38	164
35	907	Mark Ampleford	Lee Wankervis	DNF38	DNF38	DNF38	31	24	DNF38	169
36	1007	Simon Geyman	Ali Smitherland	DNF38	30	25	NYF38	DNF38	DNF38	169
37	1051	Alex Willard	Becca Willard	DNF38	DNF38	DNF38	NYF38	DNF38	DNF38	190