GUL RS200 Nationals at Tenby – 127 boats have a blast

by PR on 14 Sep 2007 Roger Gilbert and Jane Willan are the new GUL RS200 National Champions after battling to the title at Tenby, where 127 boats had a ball. For the fourth year in row the RS200’s had the biggest turnout of any two man open National Championships.

The Sailing Club may have been a little cramped; the changing rooms had no hope of coping but the members of the club created such a friendly atmosphere and were clearly enjoying themselves that none of that mattered. The beauty of going to a club such as Tenby for your nationals is that the whole club joins in and it matters to them that competitors enjoy themselves.

The weather did not help at the start of the week, the arrival for many on Saturday morning under heavy grey skies and constant rain did not bode well but everyone saw Tenby at its beautiful best with clear blue skies and sunshine for the final three days.

The race team were also not given the easiest start to the week with 25/26 knots on the water for Sunday. They kept a cool head and postponed confident that the wind would drop as the day progressed. Their decision was fully justified when having kept the fleet ashore for four hours they started an excellent race at 16.30 in an ideal 18 knots.

Monday and Race 2 was the lightest of the week in a fairly soft 9/10 knots on a biased course. The breeze swung back to the north for race 3 on a re-laid course and increased to 14 knots. After three races Robbie Burns/Vicki Simpson in the oldest boat in the fleet, the second production boat ever built, were leading overall.

Tuesday and the race team were really getting into the swing of things, with a fresh northerly air stream they caught up the lost race holding three good races in 16-18 knots. Wednesday and the forecast fooled everyone; the northerly wind was meant to slowly e ease but as soon as the fleet arrived in the race area the wind picked up to become Big Wednesday.

Race 7 was held in 20-24 knots of monster spray. The majority of the fleet would have gladly bought the race officer a beer if he did not start race 8 but the wind eased and for the first lap there was plenty of gybing throughout the fleet. Then the wind really picked up and gybe corner became a grave yard in 26-28 knot.

Ninety two boats still finished and it was a testament to how rugged the boats are that not one boat had to be towed in throughout the entire championship due to gear failure. After Big Wednesday on the water of course came big Wednesday night with a classic theme night.

Throughout all this Roger Gilbert and Jane Willan had been in near majestic form winning six of the eight races; leading round virtually every mark on the three race day. They had though recorded a 24th in the light wind race 2 and had proved to be human in race 7 by capsizing twice.

So there was still some hope for the chasing pack going into the final day, 2nd to 8th overall was very closely packed if one of them had a star bar day and Gilbert/Willan an average one then the GUL National title could be theirs. There was even more hope when Luke Patience/Chris Grube opened race 9 as now the northerly force 3/4 had big holes, it was clear there were going to be some snakes and ladders.

Dave and Emma Derby lead throughout but behind Gilbert/Willan dashed all hopes by recording a second place and winning with a race to spare. It was academic that they went onto win the final race overtaking leaders Nick Charles/Juliet Kingsnorth on the final run.

It had been a classic Nationals, Gilbert/Willan were very popular winners of the GUL RS200 Nationals for 2007 and Tenby SC even more popular hosts.

RS200 - Final overall positions

1 Roger Gilbert Jane Willan Frensham Pond SC
2 David Hivey Jane Hivey RYA
3 Nicholas Charles Juliet Kingsnorth Bristol Corinthian YC
4 Richard Edwards Paru Edwards Parkstone YC
5 Lee Sydenham Emma Clarke RYA
6 Robbie Burns Vicki Simpson Largs SC
7 James Stewart Toby Lewis Stokes Bay SC
8 Ian Martin Ally Martin Burghfield SC
9 Ian Pickard Loopie Lucy Bristol Corinthian YC
10 Dave Derby Emma Derby Bough Beech SC
11 Craig Burlton Fiona Clark RYA
12 Luke Patience Chris Grube Bala SC
13 Andrew Peters Jeraldine Peters King & Queen YC
14 Colin Smith Aaron Smith Papercourt SC
15 Peter Vincent Tessa Nicholls Bristol Corinthian YC
16 Michael Saul Sophie Hartley Yorkshire Dales SC
17 Dicken MacLean Nicola Groves Hayling Island SC
18 Sam Littlejohn Matt Giles Lancing SC
19 Matthew Jenkins Emma Jenkins Sheffield Viking SC
20 Ian Dobson Christian Birrell Burwain SC
21 Chris Martin Rach Harrison Burghfield SC
22 Sarah Allan Peter Rowley Littleton SC
23 Stephen Janering Chris O'Neill Wembly SC
24 Eddie Whitehead Noelle Vidal Filey SC
25 David Steed Suzie Procter SRSC
26 Micky Wright Katy Nichol Maylandsea Bay SC
27 Hamish Walker Clare Stubbs Weston SC
28 Chris Catt Nikki Catt Downs SC
29 Keith Escritt Anne Saul Yorkshire Dales SC
30 Rob Janering Marianthe Evangeledis Wembly SC
31 Sue Antonelli Jo Lloyd Littleton SC
32 Trudie Fell Karen Baker Bristol Corinthian YC
33 George Yeoman Georgie Akin-Smith Itchenor SC
34 Jeremy Stephens Rebecca Knee Penzance SC
35 Andy Robertson Chris Witty Bowmoor SC
36 Sarah Taylor Lucy Matthews Locks SC
37 Paul Rigg Vicky Fairhurst North Berwick SC
38 Russell Collister June Collister Isle of Man Yacht Club
39 Rob Martin Jan Martin Burghfield SC
40 Rob Struckett Eloise Hansen Itchenor SC
41 Gareth Robinson Willow Holland Littleton SC
42 Martin English Charlotte Cotter Restronguet SC
43 Roger Tait Georgie Hill Scaling Dam SC
44 Katrina Gilbert Jenny Rust Frensham Pond SC
45 Ian MacLean Helen Rollinson Chew Valley Lake SC
46 Jack Norton Elene Bremer Oxford SC
47 Mike Chapman Lynne Ratcliffe Bough Beech SC & Bexhill SC
48 Simon Gillow Emma Harniman Wembly SC
49 Thomas Winskell Alex Pickles Royal Navy Sailing Association
50 Nikki Russell David Royse Oxford SC
51 Steve Wilson Ash Davison Hayling Island SC
52 Stephen Graham Danielle Graham Burwain SC
53 Richard Neall Sara Terry Itchenor SC
54 Roy McCubbin Kirsty McSeveney Strathclyde Loch SC
55 Nick Cheetham Joe Cheetham Budworth SC
56 Caroline Martin Guy Brierley Burghfield SC
57 Graham Cook J Cook Papercourt SC
58 John McCaldin Jessica Copland Dalgety Bay SC
59 Rosie Sands Andy Williams Exe SC
60 Ben Ainsworth Hannah Mills Wessex SC
61 Ellie Martin Ian Sharps Burghfield SC
62 Simon Benson Richard Benson Derwent SC
63 Fiona Hall Helen Wightman Littleton SC
64 Russell Page Vicky Page Budworth SC
65 Charles Muir-Sands Jane Muir-Sands Littleton SC
66 Bruce Moyes Katy Moyes Parkstone YC
67 Paul Lewis Felicity Pearson Burghfield SC
68 Robert Hardwick Lucy Preston Papercourt SC
69 Adam Page Ian Sledge Bewl Valley SC
70 Robin Parsons Robert Poole Deben YC
71 Sam Thompson Nikki Stewart Royal Marines SC
72 Mark Reddington Liz Teague Bartley SC
73 Gordon Young Clare Marriage Itchenor/Loch Venachar
74 Martin Vinson Heidi Vinson Littleton SC
75 Patch Fillery Sarah Skerten Littleton SC
76 Edward Knight Rosemary Brearley Oxford University YC
77 Nigel Harniman Ian Gill Wembly SC
78 Jess Blick Lauren Spring Exe SC
79 John Gill Judy Faulds Wembly SC
80 Peter Loretto Isobel Loretto Parkstone YC
81 Carolyn Priestley Tor Mucklow Dalgety Bay SC
82 David Leach Caroline Marriage Itchenor SC
83 John Teague Simon Woodward Bristol Corinthian YC
84 Liz Jamie Liz Copland Dalgety Bay SC
85 Toby Ashton Rachel Ashton Oxford SC
86 Peter Craggs Phil Nelson York Railway Institute SC
87 Karen Littlejohn John McGrath Lancing SC
88 Phil Waind Sonya Waind Wembly SC
89 Andrew Gill Liam Watson Wembly SC
90 Andy Ramus Julie Wilkinson HISC
91 Andrew Boyce Clare Michelmore Papercourt SC
92 Andrew Hartley Eve Hartley Ripon SC
93 Andrew Bailey Hannah Bailey Winsford Flash SC
94 Ryan Spring Leanne Bland Exe SC
95 Joseph Hothersall Harry Cheetham Budworth SC
96 Paul Teague Patricia Teague Bristol Corinthian YC
97 Mike Riley