Sun and light winds greeted the seven Vareos to Bartley for the final event in the Fat Face Circuit. Going into the event, five competitors could win the overall series with results going the right way, so an intense battle commenced.

With a very shifty wind, the race got off first time and Mark Hayzelden (Burghfield) lead at the first mark, some way ahead of Martin Barrett (Craven) and Nick Crickmore (WOBYC). On the reach, Hayzelden was unsure about which mark to go to and Barrett followed him, Crickmore took advantage of their error and took the lead, followed closely by Tim Greenwood (BCYC) then Barrett. Greenwood and Barrett passed Crickmore on the next beat and pulled away on the down wind leg to finish 1st and 2nd with Hayzelden passing Crickmore on the run to claim 3rd.

After returning to shore for lunch, the second race got away in slightly stronger winds. At the first windward mark, Greenwood had the lead, followed closely by Barrett and Hayzelden. Hayzelden took the lead by the second mark, to his glee, due to the ‘lead’ boat leading most of the fleet off in the wrong direction.

Greenwood passed him by the next mark and at the leeward mark all three were within 10 metres of each other. Over the next lap, the three boats pulled away from the rest of the fleet and at the last rounding of the leeward mark Greenwood led followed by Hayzelden then Barrett.

On the final beat the wind died off down the middle, Hayzelden and Barrett decided to go right and glided (rather slowly it must be said) past Greenwood just before the last mark and all three raced for the line. Hayzelden decided to go lower than Greenwood and Barrett and sailed straight into a hole, two metres from the line. Greenwood and Barrett went for the windward end of the finish line and just pipped Hayzelden to the line with Greenwood 1st, Barrett 2nd and Hayzelden 3rd.

Race 3 started with the course a much simpler figure-of-8 course and the order was similar to the second race with Greenwood leading Hayzelden and Barrett around the windward mark. Greenwood pulled away downwind and had a sizeable lead at the leeward mark, with Barrett fighting his way in front of Hayzelden by the leeward mark. The three kept the same places up the beat. The wind was dying off and the shortened course signal was made. This time it was Greenwood who suffered as Hayzelden had in the second race, with Barrett and Hayzelden keeping their momentum to go past Greenwood yards from the line before both stopping. Barrett squeezed out every last bit of speed from the minimal wind to take the win, followed very slowly by Greenwood and Hayzelden.

Overall Results

1st 261 T. Greenwood Bristol Corinthian YC 2.0pts

2nd 354 M. Barrett Craven SC 3.00pts

3rd 322 M. Hayzelden Burghfield SC 6.00pts

4th 334 N. Crickmore Waveney & Oulton Broad 8.00pts

5th 179 E. McDonald Burghfield SC 10.00pts

6th 416 D. Hurndall Datchet Water SC 11.00pts

7th 243 G. Clark Chichester YC 13.00pts