RS Feva Grand Prix at Thorpe Bay YC

by Debbie Darling on 21 May 2012 The Bollé RS Feva Grand Prix was held at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club last weekend, 19th and 20th May 2012. TBYC hosted a fantastic event laying on good race management, lovely food, decent weather (especially Sunday), top class debrief and a warm welcome.

The forecast was cold, cloudy but a decent breeze. In reality the 34 boats were met with light winds and hazy sun shine pushing through the high clouds. Racing started earlier than normal for a Feva GP due to tides and Race Officer Rupert Snow explained to the sailors that flood tides were slack but ebb tides rip out down the Thames. A postponement went up whilst the race team waited for the fleet to get to the race course in 5 knots of breeze.

The first race got away clear but a calm patch appeared downwind of the committee boat and began creeping towards the Feva course. As the wind strength dropped boats started dropping their kites as they drifted downwind. The race was shortened to one lap and it was Jenny Smallwood and Jamie Webb first with Chay and Stirling Taylor second followed in third by Anna Prescott and Jess Eales.

The wind disappeared, the tide started to ebb, boats struggled to stay with the committee boat so after an hour of waiting, rafted around the committee boat, racing was abandoned for the day.

TBYC had laid on a debrief from Mark Asquith ex-49er Olympic Development Squad sailor, the informative session was followed by a complimentary meal for competitors.

Sunday started grey and damp but perfect sailing conditions. The fleet got away on a black flag start after the first recall. Shifty 15 knots of breeze with flat water and slack tides meant the fleet were well split and evenly matched up the first beat. First at the windward mark was Flynn Davies and Daniel Lewis with Elliott Wells and Jake Todd second and Max Mathews and Guy Rivington in third. By the leeward gate it was Elliott and Jake rounding to starboard as Max and Guy rounded in unison to port through the gate. Incredibly close racing in flat out hiking conditions.

The race was shortened to three laps but leaders Max and Guy failed to spot the flag as did Elliott and Jake. Jenny and Jamie were first to spot the flag and took another win. second to finish was Anna and Jess whilst Tom Darling and Will Dolin spotted their mistake and rehoisted to make it back to the finish to stay in third.

The third race got underway quickly and it was local boats at the front. Leading at the first mark was Jourdan Swindon and Alex Bradley with Elliott and Jake second and Mo Hopper and Tally Eyre in third.

By the leeward gate Phoebe Warren and Tabby Peel had taken the lead which they held to finish as the breeze dropped to 10 knots. Max and Guy climbed to second with Elliott and Jake third.

The fourth race saw one boat caught black flag . Leaders at the windward mark were Flynn and Daniel again with Wills Murray and Will Ormerod in second then Sam Grade and Katie Prescott in third. Lots of changes at the front of the fleet with different leaders at different marks eventually it was Chay and Stirling taking the lead at the final windward mark which they held to the finish. second Elliott and Jake; third Anna and Jess.

The last race got away after a short postponement for a wind shift. The ebb tide was starting to affect the course but a big right shift half way up the beat allowed the back markers back into the race. First at the windward mark were local sailors Alex Farrell and Alex Warrington but as the breeze picked up again to 13 knots the fleet closed up. By the finish it was Tom and Will taking the win; second Max and Guy. A third for Anna and Jess was good enough for them to win the event.

Racing was incredibly close at the front of the fleet with two points separating the top four.

Full Results:

Place	Points	Sail No	Name	Helm	Crew	Club	Races sailed
1	11	4355		Anna Prescott	Jess Eales	Hayling Island	5
2	12	2383		Jenny Smallwood	Jamie Webb	Wraysbury Lake SC	5
3	13	4344		Chay Taylor	Stirling Taylor	Burnham Sailing Club	5
4	13	4332		Elliot Wells	Jake Todd	HISC	5
5	15	3105		Tom Darling	Wil Dolin	Hayling Island	5
6	19	4890		Max Mathews	Guy Rivington	Tudor SC	5
7	22	2047		Flynn Davies	Daniel Lewis	Burnham Sailing Club	5
8	33	2012		Phoebe Warren	Tabitha Peel	Emsworth SC	5
9	33	4043	TBYC 1	Alex Farrell	Alex Warrington	TBYC	5
10	39	2508		Jamie Jobson	Eve Gadd	RTYC	5
11	44	4085		Samuel Grade	Katie Prescott	Lymington Town	5
12	51	4071		Max Duce	Ben Farenden	TBYC	5
13	55	839		Jonny Watkins	Wil Taylor	Dabchicks SC	4
14	55	2000		Jordan Swindon	Alex Bradley	TBYC	5
15	56	4530		James Eales	Katie Cruikshank	HISC	5
16	61	1883		Harvey Martin	Will Ward	Ogston Sailing Club	5
17	64	4039		Wills Murrey	Wil Omerod	Oxford Pirates	4
18	65	3811		Rebecca Lewis	Fiona Mulcahy	RYA	5
19	65	4051		Alex Hadley	Teddy Elmore	TBYC	5
20	77	2215		Max Griggs	Cody Griggs	Royal Torbay YC	5
21	78	4604		Kathryn Hutton Penman	Niamh Davies	Burnham Sailing Club	5
22	78	4361		James Scott	Sam lythgoe	Welsh-Harp London	5
23	80	4079	Blond Feva	Madeleine Hopper	Tally Eyre	TBYC	5
24	83	3710		Loes Eikman	Nynke Nell	WV Aalsmeer	5
25	84	4354		Oskar Bisset	Taylor Knobbs	Downs Sailing Club	5
26	85	3424		Coutney Bilborough	Callum Dixon	DSWC	5
27	100	862		Oliver Barnes-Dean	Peter Snow	TBYC	5
28	104	4385		Libi Askew	Emily Proud	HISC	4
29	105	4622		Buzz Gilks	Poppy Gilks	QMC	5
30	113	4850		Greg Watson	Maddie Shields	TBYC	5
31	117	4150		Vicky Little	Jacob Allard	TBYC	4
32	118	3458		Izzy Davies	Lucy Pirkill	Ichnor	1
33	126	4222		James Russell	Lauren Russell	Alton	5
34	132	4102		Matt Hill	Joe Reeve	Burghfield	1
35	133	3908		?			1

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