RS Elite UK Nationals - Pressure cooker sailing on day two

by Martin Wadhams on 24 Jul 2010 RS Elite UK Nationals day two report.

PRO Roger Wilson made the perfect call when the day began with a light northerly gradient breeze that his forecast showed would shut down by late morning before sea breeze conditions became established at around 14.00. A three hour postponement saw the fleet head off to Christchurch Bay in ready for the wind to swing left and racing then started almost immediately.

Keelboat racing cannot get much closer than this. A tightly bunched fleet, place changing to the last and total tension were the order of the day throughout all three races. Like yesterday, Paul Jenkins’ Activ 3G crew were the fastest out of the blocks and perhaps scored the most comfortable win of the day, leading around every mark with just enough margin to keep their noses clean. Martin Wadhams’ RSsailing.com team climbed through the race to clinch a nail biting second from Kandoo 3, so close that they were not sure who had it and overnight leaders the Browns in Aeolus were overlapping both of them in third.

RSsailing.com shut out Kandoo and Materhorn Jack, sailed by Mark Jardine, at the top mark in race 4 to lead around the first lap, but a touch of the slows on the second beat dropped them to third and then a bottom gate error made it fourth at the finish. Kandoo motored up the second beat to secure their second race win with Peter Lister in Pipefish getting into his stride for a truly great day in second.

The windward mark in race 6 will not be forgotten by many crews. As the tide turned against the fleet on the beat there were some mighty big snakes for those who pushed their luck – especially as a right hand shift put many starboard tack approachers above those coming in on port who’d thought they had a lane. Mark Brien’s highly popular Irish team in Full Marks (they’re all called Mark) called it perfectly to round ahead of Kandoo who now really looked into their stride. With place changing just behind them and no space to breathe the race turned into a total nail biter. On the final beat to the finish the overall leaders Kandoo covered RSsailing.com their closest rivals with a dual that forced the pair left giving Pipefish the opportunity to choose the other bottom gate mark and come in from the right to nick it brilliantly on the line from Full Marks.

So Kandoo 3 achieved a hugely impressive 1,2,3 for their day’s work moving them into the overall lead 3 points clear of RSsailing.com in second. Some of the other teams in contention picked up the odd high score but if the full series is sailed a second discard will, assuming they keep it clean from here on, allow them back into the frame. It is all to play for, but you have to say Kandoo is looking strong.

Overall after day 2
1st Kandoo 3 11pts
2nd RSsailing.com 14pts
3rd Activ 3G 21pts
4th Aeolus 22pts
5th Matterhorn Jack 26pts
6th Elixir 38pts