RS200 Fat Face Racing Circuit and Cakes

by Pete Vincent on 21 Jul 2007 After a hugely successful GUL RS200 Nationals at Exe SC last year 51 RS200s travelled west for the sixth round of the Fat Face Racing Circuit with high expectations. Exe SC of course did us proud with a very friendly welcome, great organisation, top race management, sunshine (!!), wind, waves and tables full of cakes.

This was the last event before the Nationals in Tenby and all crews were keen for sea practice, for once the weather gods were smiling on us. After a dreadful summer it was a major relief to have a day without heavy rain, in fact the sun was out and the fleet launched into a nice 10 knot SW breeze.

As the afternoon progressed the clouds completely disappeared and the breeze slowly increased so by race three 51 200’s were revelling in majestic conditions of 16-18 knots from the SW producing superb waves all under clear blue skies. It was difficult to imagine better conditions and everyone agreed it was the best racing of the year so far by some distance.

Race 1 in 10-12 knots saw Ellie Martin/Ian Sharp fly off the start line to lead. Lee and Anne Sydenham soon were through into first to win from Roger Gilbert/Jane Willan and Sarah Allan/Pete Rowley.

Race 2 and the breeze was building. Stephen Janering/Chris O Neill led at mark 1 but you really had to stay on starboard after the windward mark and bash the right hand corner. Nick Charles/Juliette Kingsnorth led the charge in extra breeze and jumped from 6th to first to win the race from Gilbert/Willan and Micky Wright/Katy Nichol.

Race 3 and the Gilbert/Willan team loved the breeze/sea state to win to have an emphatic 2.2.1 score line over night. Charles/Kingsnorth were second to be only two points behind overall whilst Will Storey and Tobytastic rounded off a very consistent day with a third.

After such a glorious day afloat the fleet returned to the shore, their mood made even happier by free choc ices when you tallyed off, a huge spread of cakes, a good evening meal, followed by drinking beer/pimms on the balcony looking at a fabulous sunset - Exe SC at its best.

Of course the good weather could not last and Sunday dawned wet with uniform low slate grey clouds with an 8-9 knot gentle northerly blowing.

This did not dampen the competitiveness of the fleet in what was to prove a close finish.

It looked as if Gilbert/Willan were going to continue where they had left off on Saturday and win race 4 as they moved into an early lead.

Just as the dominant force in RS200 sailing this year, having won the previous five Fat Face Circuit events, looked as if they were going to win another event a chink appeared in their armour. Charles/Kingsnorth managed to get by on the second beat, a lead they held to the finish. The Sydenhams got through to second on the final beat and then new local heroine Rosie Sands/Andy Williams claimed third on the final run.

The breeze was lighter for race 5 and it really paid to come out of the gate early and go left. Trudie Fell/Karen Baker were fast out of the blocks to lead the whole race with fellow short noisy blonde Sarah Allan/Pete Rowley in close company in second with Charles/Kingsnorth third and Gilbert/Willan back in 19th.

What breeze there was virtually disappeared forcing PRO Phil Morrison to abandon one attempted gate start as the pathfinder was going backwards in the tide at the start gun. Just when it looked that was the end of the fun and the fleet would have to be towed in an easterly breeze quickly filled in allowing race 6 to start in 8-9 knots on a line start which caught quite a few boats out.

The Sydenhams led throughout but the real issue was how far up the fleet Gilbert/Willan could get, they needed at least second. In the end their third behind Allan/Rowley was not quite good enough. Charles/Kingsnorth won overall by a point. So it was time to go ashore and attack the north face of the cake mountain.

Rob Janering/Emma Harniman won the Silver division by three points from Rosie Sands/Andy Williams and Ellie Martin/Ian Sharp. Tom Winskell/Alex Pickles won the bronze division with another local girl helm Jess Blick/Tom Kinver second just ahead of Nigel Harniman/Charlotte Cotter.

With the Sydenhams, 2004 Champions back on form after Lee’s shoulder injury last year, 2005 National Champions Craig Burlton/Fiona Clark on the entry list and Charles/Kingsnorth clearly on good form there are plenty of challengers for Gilberts title at Tenby in five weeks time. Bring it on but the important question is are the cakes going to be as good?

RS200 - Final overall positions:

1 953 Nick Charles Juliette Kingsnorth BCYC 11pts
2 1219 Roger Gilbert Jane Willan Frensham Pond 12
3 880 Sarah Allan Peter Rowley Littleton SC 15
4 854 Lee Syndenham Anne Syndenham Exe SC 21
5 1083 Will Storey Toby Lewis Parkstone 28
6 1207 Trudie Fell Karen Baker BCYC 44
7 815 Mick Wright Katie Nichol MBSC 45
1 1036 Ian Maclean Hellen Rollinson Chew Valley SC 47
2 940 Dicken Maclean Nicola Groves IBRSC 48
8 1077 Pete Vincent Tessa Nicholls BCYC 54
9 988 Chris Martin Katherine Lovering Burghfield 59
10 1165 Ian Pickard Laura Woosey BCYC 60
11 345 Eddie Whitehead Noelle Vidal Filey 61
1 1130 Rob Janering Emma Harminan Wembley 71
12 371 Sarah Taylor Lucy Mathews BCYC 71
13 1094 Sam Littlejohn Matt Giles Lancing 73
2 609 Rosie Sands Andy Williams Exe SC 74
14 626 Caroline Martin Andy Douglas Burghfield Sc 79
15 600 Fiona Hall Helen Wightman Littleton SC 80
16 896 Sue Antonelli Jo Lloyd Littleton 83
3 617 Elenor Martin Ian Sharps Burghfield 85
4 1022 Stephen Janering Chris O`Neill Wembley 87
17 789 Steven Dunn Rachel Jones RYA 97
5 858 Paul Lewis Felicity Pearson Burghfield 97
6 780 (1261) Paul Teague Pat Teague BCYC 115
1 561 Tom Winskell Alex Pickles RNSA 119
7 920 Mark Harrison Tom Harrison Gurnard 122
2 300 Jess Blick Tom Kinver Exe SC 133
8 529 Toby Ashman Rachel Ashton Oxford 134
3 984 Nigel Harniman Charlie Cotter Wembley 141
3 899 James French Ben Green Gurnard 147
4 567 Ryan Spring Ben Cornish Exe SC 148
9 654 Stephen Woodward Emma Yates BCYC 152
10 1187 Mark Reddington Liz Teague BCYC 159
4 358 Matt Yalloop Rob Ashman Middle Nene 161
5 589 Matthew Dry Hanna Sandstrom Burghfield 161
6 584 Paul Whitbread Connie Whitbread Burghfield 165
7 570 Alex Davies Jenna Kelway RNSA 169
5 604 Neil Chadborn Lucy Hall Paignton SC 177
6 935 Jane Bailey Katarina Mathews- Lundin 192
8 370 Gary Parks Josh Pritchard NBSC 196
7 1266 Martin Lilley Jonny Trick Exe SC 203
9 255 Andrew Connellan Kelly Brown Middle Nene 205
8 376 Sam Jacklin Alex Horlock Exe SC 205
10 1055 Richard Morley Sue Morley Berghfield 210
9 373 Andrew Reid Celine Relet Burghfield 210
11 1156 Alice Morgan Max Hayman Exe SC 218
11 7 Paul Goodwin Ian Horlock Draycote SC 225
12 1210 Oliver Greenslade Charlie Greenslade Starcross 227
13 832 Wes Kangurs JO Munro BCYC 230
14 898 Sue Spring Sue Morgan Exe SC 231