The Fat Face RS Racing Circuit for the RS200s kicked off with the RS200 Winter Championship at Northampton SC on 16-17 February and a total of 40 boats turned out.

However, Saturday was a non-starter as far as racing was concerned due to the thick fog and lack of wind. Sunday dawned with no fog but a very still lake at 0930 when competitors gathered for a briefing. The breeze eventually filled in and, with the black flag up, the fleet got away second time with Sam Mettam/Geoff Phillips pulling off a perfect leeward end start to lead round mark one. The fleet then fell into stunned disbelief as Pete Vincent/ Trudie Danbury showed never seen before light wind downwind boat speed to take the lead which they held for three laps although never shaking off Mettam and Jon Lewis/Paula Hall. The first four boats rounded the final windward mark covered by four boat lengths and it was Andy Beston/Gary Russam who judged the approach to the final mark correctly to just break overlaps to win from Lewis and Vincent.

In a Force 2, the second race saw some real action with a big windshift 60 seconds before the start making it difficult to cross the line on starboard. It made no difference to Lewis who sailed off into a huge lead leaving a major tussle for second which Beston secured ahead of Chris and Linda Woodard and Steve Dunn/Dottie Cormack.

The race team now had the bit between the teeth and were turning races round very smartly. Race three in slightly more breeze saw crews sitting out, a far from expected delight at the beginning of the day. Steve and Katie Restall took early control to win the race with Steve Dunn second, Lewis third and Ian Pickard/Babs Day fourth. With one race left it was only the Beston/Russam team that could challenge Lewis for overall victory. Careful shepherding by Lewis prevented Beston getting a clean start . Pickard found turbo charge and blasted up the first beat to lead, a lead he carefully guarded by sitting on best mate Dunn when ever possible. However, Dunn’s final race second did secure him second overall. Lewis, a fast finishing fourth was though out of sight in overall victory.

Just outside the prizes in seventh overall was Paul Dorer/Ian Robertson in one of the Bowmoor Youth boats who scored very credible fifth and seventh places. Just behind them was Chris Brann/Georgina Wainwright, from the dominant Bristol Corinthian YC, who recorded their best ever circuit result.

Overall Results

1. 754 The Quiff, Jonathan Lewis/Paula Hall (Burghfield SC) 6 pts

2. 696 Mine’s a pint of vodka, Steve Dunn/Dottie Cormack (Stewartby Water SC) 8 pts

3. 728 Lard power, Ian Pickard/Babs Day (Bristol Corinthian YC) 10pts

4. 579 Steve Restall/Katie Restall (Downs SC) 12 pts

5. 383 The pulling boat , Pete Vincent/Trudie Danbury (Bristol Corinthian YC) 16 pts

6. 611 Andy Beston/Gary Russam (Bartley SC) 24 pts