Steve Bolland wins opening RS300 Fat-Face event

by RS media on 20 Mar 2007 New season, new Fat-Face racing circuit but some things stay the same. So Sir Barrington Steel started the 2007 Fat-face circuit off at Bough Beech on 17 March with his trademark port-tack start and so successful was it that come race 2 there were a gaggle of boats loitering at the pin end striving for that perfect start.

Despite Steel’s best efforts, though, it was itinerant Tim Keen from Sheffield who initially led the fleet in race 1. He was overhauled by Steve Bolland from Bristol Corinthian towards the end of the second lap, a position he retained to the finish with Keen in second and Steel from Aldenham taking third.

Race 2 was run back to back in marginally more breeze. Bolland won the port-biased start and led the fleet away. He pulled further ahead down the first reach as he took advantage of a series of gusts but Keen recovered well from a dodgy start and closed up on the broad second reach. As the wind piped up, however, Bolland eased away. Keen finished in second place again, closely followed by Peter Curtis, the first A-rigger, from Island Barn and Alastair Wood, also in an A-rig, from Bough Beech.

During lunch the wind continued to rise but the fleet was well rested, fired up on a diet of pasties and curry and ready to go at the start of race 3. Again Bolland won the port end of the line and had a decent lead by the first mark. There was a gaggle of boats chasing however which was initially led by Keen. However, a capsize and a broken tiller extension put paid to Keen’s chances. As the wind continued to build there were capsizes throughout the fleet but Curtis, Steel and Geoff Marks from the home club picked their way through the carnage to finish in that order after Bolland.

A depleted fleet stayed out for race 4. Bolland yet again led the fleet away cleanly and was never headed. Behind him Curtis and Steel had a ding-dong battle that lasted the entire race and these two were closely followed home by Alastair Wood.

A great event, then, that was enjoyed by everyone, not least due to the excellent courses set by the race officer and the friendly nature of the club. Towards the front of the fleet it was good to see some new (as well as old!) faces and also two A-rigs finishing in the top four, giving the B-rig boats more than a run for their money. Next stop on the Fat-Face circuit is on 28/29 April at Milton Keynes.

Overall Results :

1 - 411 Steve Bolland Bristol Corinthian SC (1) 1 1 1 3 pts
2 - 324 Peter Curtis Island Barn SC (4) 3 2 2 7 pts
3 - 366 Barry Steel ASC 3 (6) 3 3 9 pts
4 - 422 Alastair Wood BBSC (5) 4 5 4 13 pts
5 - 437 Jeff Marks SHSC (7) 5 4 5 14 pts
6 - 328 Tim Keen Sheffield Viking SC 2 2 (11) 11 15 pts
7 - 353 Richard Eperon BBSC 6 7 7 (11) 20 pts
8 - 511 Mark Smith QMSC 8 8 6 (11) 22 pts
9 - 373 Peter Cook BBSC 10 9 (11) 11 30 pts
10 - 313 Steve Sharp MSC 9 10 (11) 11 30 pts