The tension was palpable on the last day of the Gul RS National Championships at Mounts Bay SC on the morning of 9 August, with much banter flying round the dinghy park. With the wind blowing 15-20 knots, and gusting 25 knots, the racing “could go any way” according to Michael Lennon. The race committee had amended the sailing instructions to three races for each fleet, starting at 1100 hours.

The tension turned to frustration however, as a general postponement went up at 1130. In accordance with the forecast gusts of Force 6, the race committee was recording gusts of 30 knots. Instead of dropping, the wind held and, after a tense and exasperating wait, the racing was abandoned at 1500 hours.

The RS400 fleet anticipated a big day’s racing, the potential of a second discard could drastically alter the placings. Roger Gilbert, in first over night, had the results of the next six boats written on the inside of his hull allowing him to track the places, in the end it was all to no avail as the previous day’s results were to count. Craig Burlton and Andy Bonsey consistency put them second overall, Dan Vincent and and Adrian Lynham with a great performance in third. Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis came in fourth. Chris Jennings and Ed Nicklin, who perhaps had bigger things in mind, still come in, in a very respectable fifth.

Mounts Bay proved a fantastic family venue; child-free sailors could not understand the parents ecstatic reaction to the deluxe playground on the dinghy park! Despite the frustration of losing days on the water, the general feeling in the 700 fleet was that the racing was good, particularly on day four, which Paul Lewis described as “electric”. There is still a Hayling domination of the 800s, which is a challenge for the other clubs to break at Thorpe Bay and the inlands!

Overall Results

RS400

1st 873 Roger Gilbert & James Stewart 35pts

2nd 949 Craig Burlton & Andrew Bonsey 39pts

3rd 980 Dan Vincent & Adrian Lynham 46pts

4th 1102 Jon Gorringe & Toby Lewis 54pts

5th 896 Chris Jennings & Ed Nicklin 71pts

6th 1055 Colin Prince & Tony Prince 73pts

7th 1044 Stewart Robertson & Ben Robertson 75pts

8th 1007 Richard Catchpole & Alan Woosey 77pts

9th 1009 Colin Smith & Sarah Smith 84pts

10th 1072 David Giles & Jared Halligan 90pts

RS700

1st 744 Neil Robinson 10pts

2nd 741 Andy White 12pts

3rd 714 Ben Oakley 20pts

4th 712 Gareth Morgen 23pts

5th 716 Carl Vining 23pts

6th 708 Steve Stubbs 32pts

7th 724 Russell Belben 34pts

8th 706 Gerard Hughes 38pts

9th 727 Paul Bartlett 41pts

10th 707 Paul Lewis 46pts

RS800

1st 927 Michael Lennon & Craig Davies 7pts

2nd 934 Richard Lovering & Richard Kent 10pts

3rd 930 Nick Peters & Caroline Litchfield 20pts

4th 961 Neil Upton-Brown & Ian Gotts 27pts

5th 835 David & Fiona Sayce 31pts

6th 871 Geoff Carveth & Jim Dean 31pts

7th 874 Tim Johnson & Laura Chapman 32pts

8th 935 Lee Sydenham & Anne Vaudry 34pts

9th 932 Ricky Tagg & Steve Greaves 35pts

10th 894 Tracey Covell & Vanda Zadorozny 39pts