A huge turnout by the home fleet of 17 boats coupled with three visitors enjoyed fabulous sea sailing at Aldeburgh Yacht Club’s annual RS 400 open meeting on 11-12 June.

Launching off the beach, race officer George Johnson used an experimental two windward marks to great effect to ensure that the race track for each of the six races lasted 45-50 minutes and that he was always able to reset the windward mark as needed.

Blue Tonic, sailed by Gavin Marshall and Anna Robinson made the most of Saturday’s Force 3-4 conditions to hold the overnight lead with a 1, 2 and 3 from visitors Steve Doslin and Nathan Pince of QMSC who scored 1, 2 and 4. Class captains Emma and Simon Sydenham held third overall with the heavier-weight crews of Ian Robson and Sandy Johnson, and Stephen and John Fulford some distance behind in fourth and fifth.

Sunday morning dawned with a Force 4-5 southerly which suited the Johnsons who posted two bullets. The Fulfords, and Doslin and Pince held on to take the minor positions while Marshall and Robinson were unlucky to break their kicking strap in race 4. They nearly also missed race 5 but fought back to score 10th.

This turned the last race into a real nail-biter especially as the wind veered 50 degrees and dropped away to Force 2-3 as the new westerly breeze established itself. Robson and Johnson were particularly hard hit by the change in wind direction which dumped them into last place round the first mark. Whilst Marshall and Robinson chased hard by Charlie and Anne Somerset took the lead, for a long time it looked like visitors, Doslin and Pince, had the event sewn up. However, on the last run Robson and Johnson pulled through to third which after the scores were tallied was sufficient to win them the weekend by a single point.

Overall Results

1 Ian Robson and Sandy Johnson 1263, 11 points

2 Steve Doslin and Nathan Pince 1267, 12 points

3 Gavin Marshall and Anna Robsinson 1241, 17 points

4 Simon and Emma Sydenham 1093, 18 points

5 Stephen and John Fulford 1111, 19 points