RS400 Fat Face Racing Circuit event, Northampton S

by media on 7 May 2008 Tom Halhead and Christian Humphery won the second round of the RS 400 Fat Face circuit with a clean sweep of three wins at Northampton SC.

This round saw the fleet travel to Northampton for a bit of a break from the norm – with the weekend being split into a training day on Saturday, followed by a one day open meeting on the Sunday.

Saturday proved ideal for high wind boat handling practice, with the morning spent on drills before a short series of races in the afternoon, with a video debriefing and meal afterwards.

Conditions on Sunday were a bit lighter and made for perfect 400 sailing, with a shifty 15 knot breeze prevailing across the lake. Race 1 saw Stuart Hudson and Andy Bonsey leading at the first windward mark, followed by Halhead and Humphrey, who came out in front at the bottom mark, followed by an ominously quick Sam Parker and Jane Bailey, followed by Howard Farbrother and Fiona Clark.

Race 2 saw James Downer and Jon Price demonstrate some of the form they showed in Saturday’s training, with the first beat a real tussle between them, Halhead and Humphrey and Michael Sims and Elliot Banks. Sims and Banks, unlike the others, went for the right mark, rounding first.

The following laps saw frequent place changing between Halhead and Humphrey & Downer and Price, with these two coming in with Parker and Bailey third.

Race 3, and Halhead and Humphrey started well, extending their lead to the finish – behind there was a real tussle for second place overall with three boats in it. Parker and Bailey were looking good, until late spins let Farbrother and Clark and Downer and Price through. Overall then it was a three-way tie for second, which went Farbrother and Clark’s way, with Downer and Price taking third.

RS400 - Leading positions

1 Tom Halhead Christian Humphrey Bristol Corinthian YC (1.0) 1.0 1.0 2.0pts
2 Howard Farbrother Fiona Clark QMSC 3.0 (4.0) 2.0 5.0pts
3 James Downer Jon Price Royal Victoria YC (5.0) 2.0 3.0 5.0pts
4 Sam Parker Jane Bailey Weston SC 2.0 3.0 (7.0) 5.0pts
5 Stuart Hudson Andy Bonsey Weston SC 4.0 (5.0) 4.0 8.0pts
6 Michael Sims Elliot Banks Carsington SC (7.0) 6.0 5.0 11.0pts