RS400 Inlands and Grafham Water SC

Sat, 13 Oct 2012

Considering the very poor forecast for very light winds throughout the weekend, it was a very decent fleet of 36 RS400’s that arrived at Grafham Water on Oct 6-7 for the RS400 Inland Championships. Considering how light and fickle the wind proved to be, the race team led by Pete Saxton did a sterling job of fitting four races in.

The fleet and the race team were given a master class in light wind sailing by Scaling Dams finest; Wayne and Debbie Fletcher who really put on quite a show. As one wise sage put it 'every time I realised where good new wind was coming from that red boat was already there going faster than anyone'.

Race 1 in a patchy 6/7 knots was a comprehensive win for the Fletchers who were a mile clear with the Pete’s Vincent and Cruickshank equally convincing in second with Robert Gullan/Jack Holden third. James George/Izzi Mitchell held a useful lead in race 2 but the Fletchers hunted them down on the second run to win again by a useful distance from David Exley/Richard Brown and Caroline Whithouse/Tony Cliff. After a few attempted starts that were stopped as the wind went walk about race 3 started in very light airs that became even more fickle. This time the Fletchers were in third on the second run but got the approach to the leeward gate spot on as the race team shortened course to win from Gullan/Holden and Martin Cooper/Nick Hunt.

No one really held out much hope for Sunday morning as the forecast was for two knots from every compass direction dropping to one from any direction left and the heavy mist at 9.00 gave even less cause for optimism. But when the mist disappeared and the sun came out a steady 7/8 knots appeared and everyone was rushing to put wetsuits on and pull up sails. But the fleet went into starting practice overload and by time they got away on the fourth start the inevitable happened – the wind switched off. The poor RS500 fleet starting after the 400’s had sat and watched the best wind of the weekend!!! (sorry!!)The wind ended up so light no one put their kites on the second run it was that painful! Exley/Brown held their nerve to win from Cooper/Hunt and long-time leader Peter Snowden and Pippa Fetcher. Senior Fletchers were fifth and with no more racing possible were the most convincing winners of the RS400 Inland Championships. Ross Ryan and Kathryn Hinsliff Smith had a storming event in eighth overall to win the silver division.

Many thanks to Grafham; the Inlands showed the 400 fleet in good health and in a buoyant mood; it is now on to the sprints at Queen Mary and the Crewsaver end of Season event at Datchet.

1st	RS 400		1029	Wayne Fletcher	Deb Fletcher	Scaling Dam	1.0	1.0	1.0	(5.0)	8.0	3.0
2nd	RS 400		1186	David Exley	Richard Brown	Leigh&Lowton/Carsington	(5.0)	2.0	4.0	1.0	12.0	7.0
3rd	RS 400		1342	Robbert Gullan	Jack Holden	Arun Yacht Club	3.0	(20.0)	2.0	4.0	29.0	9.0
4th	RS 400		1135	Martin Cooper	Nick Hunt	Scaling Dam SC	(6.0)	6.0	3.0	2.0	17.0	11.0
5th	RS 400		1379	Caroline Whitehouse	Tony Cliff	Bartley SC	(10.0)	3.0	8.0	6.0	27.0	17.0
6th	RS 400		1313	Peter Vincent	Peter 'Oh No' Cruickshank	Bristol CYC	2.0	12.0	9.0	(19.0)	42.0	23.0
7th	RS 400		1216	Caroline Exley	Joe Hartigan	Leigh and Lowton SC	4.0	7.0	(25.0)	16.0	52.0	27.0
8th	RS 400		1322	Ross Ryan	Kathryn Hinsliff Smith	Notts County	(22.0)	15.0	6.0	8.0	51.0	29.0
9th	RS 400		1344	James George	Izzi Mitchell	Queen Mary	(11.0)	9.0	11.0	9.0	40.0	29.0
10th	RS 400		1325	John Cooper	Becci Wigley	LTSC	9.0	8.0	16.0	(37.0 BFD)	70.0	33.0
11th	RS 400		1340	Sam Neal	Alayne Seymour	GWSC	12.0	(18.0)	7.0	15.0	52.0	34.0
12th	RS 400		440	Roger Carter	Ian Robertson	Wormit Boating Club	RS400 website by Pete Vincent Our advertisers are committed to our sport, please support them! (Graphics) Contact us , ph: +61 2 8006 1873, , fax: +61 2 8076 0459 or complete our feedback form. View our Privacy Policy. Photographs are copyright by law, if you wish to use a photograph from www.sail-world.com, please Contact us. [Go Home(Graphics)] Make sail-world.com Australia my default page.    Make sail-world.com Cruising International my default page.  Make sail-world.com Cruising Australia my default page.  Make sail-world.com Asia my default page.   Make sail-world.com New Zealand my default page.   Make sail-world.com UK my default page.   Make sail-world.com USA my default page.   Visit another region : Sail-World Australia    Sail-World Cruising International   Sail-World Cruising Australia   Sail-World Asia   Sail-World New Zealand   Sail-World UK   Sail-World USA   Performance Sailcraft Australia (Asia Pacific) Laser builder Performance Sailcraft Australia has taken on the successful RS Sailboat range from Britain, and is now licensed to build and distribute all of the RS range in the Asia Pacific region. [More info] http://www.lasersailing.com.au