RS800 Spring Championship at Queen Mary Sailing Club
by Ralph Singleton 19 Mar 12:11 GMT
15-16 March 2025
Winners downwind - RS800 Spring Championship © Anna Ormond
Queen Mary SC hosted the 2025 RS800 Spring Championship alongside events for the RS200s, RS400s and RS700s. Ten boats entered what might have better been described as the "Winter" championships with a brisk Nor Easter in evidence for the whole weekend.
Mind you your correspondent noted that whilst the wind direction was the same as the event held in 2018 (the same weekend as the Beast from the East) the temperature was somewhat warmer than the wind chill factor of -6 degrees C in 2018. The wind conditions were gusty and shifty which was challenging for all.
Tom Morris and Guy Fillmore dominated the first day with three bullets closely followed by Fred and Louise Gale, and Ben Palmer and Dicken Maclean who missed the last race with a torn spinnaker. Ralph Singleton (first event since an Op) and Sophie Hall (nee Singleton back after looking after the helm's grandchildren) sailed consistency but lack of fitness left them and probably the rest of the fleet exhausted after day one. Anna Ormand spent the weekend in the coach boat taking some excellent video and leaving Bryan with a new crew Alejandra Gutierrez to cope with the tricky conditions.
Sunday was virtually a carbon copy of Saturday with Tom and Guy taking three more bullets, Ben and Dicken three seconds, and the Dyers after a difficult Saturday managing three thirds. Ralph and Sophie managed the first two races but were totally spent by the end of race two and Ralph's plumbing skills were required later so a trip to Wickes was required before they closed! Fred and Louise didn't make the start line on Sunday which meant Ben and Dicken managed second overall,l and Ralph and Sophie third behind our deserved Spring championship winners Tom and Guy.
Thank you to QMSC for hosting a great weekend of racing. Thank you to Rooster for sponsoring our RS800 national tour.
The next event on the Rooster RS800 national tour is Stokes Bay 5-6 April which has been a long term favourite of the RS800s and will be a great weekend. More information and entry here.
Your correspondent completed this report Wednesday morning and is still struggling to walk after the weekend's exertions! Getting older won't help but getting fitter will. Lesson learned!
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1248 | Tom Morris | Guy Fillmore | Hayling Island Sailing Club | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2nd | 1215 | Ben Palmer | Dicken Maclean | Hayling Island Sailing Club | 2 | 3 | (DNC) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| 3rd | 1166 | Ralph Singleton | Sophie Hall | Starcross YC | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | (DNC) | 19 |
| 4th | 1225 | Elizabeth Watton | Christopher Williams | Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club | 6 | (DNC) | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 24 |
| 5th | 1224 | Frederick Lord | Louise Gale | Carsington Sailing Club | 3 | 2 | 2 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 29 |
| 6th | 862 | Chris Haslam | Clifford Haslam | Hickling Broad Sailing Club | 5 | 5 | (DNS) | 7 | 7 | 5 | 29 |
| 7th | 1234 | Bryan Ormond | Alejandra Gutierrez | Hayling Island Sailing Club | ‑7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 29 |
| 8th | 1250 | Michael Dyer | Samuel Dyer | Herne Bay Sailing Club | (RET) | DNC | DNC | 3 | 3 | 3 | 31 |
| 9th | 1200 | Griff Tanner | Simon Hawes | Queen Mary Sailing Club | (RET) | RET | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 52 |
| 10th | 1144 | David Copse | Rowan Copse | Queen Mary Sailing Club | (RET) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 55 |