Bollé RS300 Grand Prix at Bough Beech SC

by Pete Ellis on 4 May 2013 The RS300 fleet made a welcome return to Bough Beech SC on 28/28 April for the first of the 2013 Grand Prix Series sponsored by Bollé. Ten visitors from afar afield as Sheffield and the Isle of Wight, including a strong contingent from Aldenham SC and a few new faces bodes well for the class when the fair –weather regulars re-join the fleet later in the year.

Saturday - As the 300’s were joining in with the one day 200 open, it required an earlier start than usual to fit in four cracking races in a shifty Northerly hovering around the Force 3 mark. The PRO managed to fit in a trapezoid for the 300’s and wind/leeward for the 200’s on the same patch of water, resulting in a few interesting moments as we beat back through the 200’s leeward gate.

Racing was always close with many place changes as a result of the shifts and variable wind strength for the long run down the western shore, with Harry McVicar coming out of the traps quickest with three bullets on the bounce. Behind Harry, the quartet of Tim Keen, Pete Ellis, Mark Riddington and Martin Harrison regularly battled for the next four spots.

Saturday evening was spent at a very fine real ale pub on the recommendation of the BBSC locals, the forecast for Sunday was for a quieter day.

Sunday dawned with no wind, but with the prospect of an increasing SW’erly breeze by the afternoon, the fleet delayed the start of the planned three races to allow heads to clear and boats to be tinkered with.

The new wind direction brought different upwind tactics, with the left tending to benefit a shift off the dam wall. Again close racing, but the more consistent breeze that arrived in the afternoon enabled Martin Harrison to escape for a well deserved win in Race 6, and the same would have happened to Mark Riddington in Race 7 if he hadn’t threaded his extension between boom and clew outhaul during a gybe resulting in a capsize when clear ahead.

Position	Helm	Club	Sail #	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Net Points
1	Harry McVicar	Aldenham SC	523	1	1	1	3	1	5	1	8
2	Tim Keen	Sheffield Viking SC	328	4	2	2	2	3	4	2	15
3	Pete Ellis	Aldenham SC	500	2	3	3	5	4	2	3	17
4	Mark Riddington	Emsworth SC	432	3	4	7	1	2	3	5	18
5	Martin Harrison	Royal Victoria YC	481	5	7	4	4	6	1	12	27
6	Dan Skinner	Aldenham SC	374	7	5	6	7	5	7	8	37
7	Barry Steel	Aldenham SC	525	6	8	8	6	8	9	4	40
8	Alastair Wood	Bough Beech SC	422	8	6	9	9	7	6	7	43
9	John Moore	Draycote Water SC	386	10	9	5	8	9	8	6	45
10	Dan Treloar	Aldenham SC	417	11	11	11	10	10	10	9	61
11	Richard Eperon	Whitstable SC	353	9	10	10	12	12	12	12	65

http://uk.rs300sailing.org/