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RS Aero UK Southern Championship at the WPNSA

by RS Aero UK Class 1 Jun 2021 22:19 NZST 29-30 May 2021

Summer finally arrived in the UK over the bank holiday weekend as 40 RS Aeros visited Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy for the 2021 RS Aero UK Southern Championships. Medium south-easterly breezes and blue skies provided excellent racing with a few sun kissed faces over the weekend!

A day's racing on each of Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay provided nice variety and the medium breezes gave incredibly equally matched close racing with most sailors taking a turn near the front at some point! Both days followed a similar pattern, starting racing with about 12kn, which dropped progressively to 6-7kn during the day. This provided a good balance between both the light & heavier air suited sailors with wave technique also coming into play on Day 2 out on the Bay.

In the RS Aero 7s Greg Bartlett (Starcross) and Craig Williamson (Staunton Harold) shared the wins on day one finishing the day a point apart and both clear ahead of the rest of the pack. On Sunday morning the waves of the Bay and a spritely 12kn let Tim Hire (Lymington) stretch his legs with some blistering upwind pace to take both the first two races. Greg Bartlett continued to iron out a very consistent series with two more 2nds to take the title with a race to spare.

The final race in a softening breeze saw Chris Jenkins (Bowmoor) sniff out a right shift for a handy lead at the top mark followed by Sammy Isaacs-Johnson (Maidenhead). Samuel Brackley (Felpham) took the lead on the run catching waves effectively in the softer breeze and retained it until the finish to secure 7th overall and 1st Youth honours. Craig Williamson did enough to retain his 2nd overall with a 4,3 with Tim Hire taking 3rd overall after his charge faltered with an 8th in the final race.

In the RS Aero 5s the medium breeze gave similar close matched racing with all sailors in the mix. From the outset Abby Hire (Lymington) put all the pieces to the puzzle together best with a string of 1st and 2nds for a commanding overnight lead which she then sealed in the waves of the Bay on Sunday morning to take the title before the final race. Tom Ahlheid (Frensham) took two wins on Sunday for 2nd overall in front of Yana Skvortsova (Exeter Uni) in 3rd.

Many thanks to WPNSA and their team for being excellent hosts as ever and to race officer Bob 'Arky' Wainwright for conducting great racing. Thanks to Rooster for their continued support in providing a nice spread of goodies at the prize-giving. It was fantastic to get away for a weekend event again and to catch up socially again with so many sailors.

The RS Aero UK Class calendar is now in full swing with events every weekend across the country. Check out the RS Aero UK Events List here.

Overall Results:

PosSailHelmClubCat.R1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
RS Aero 7
1st3174Greg BartlettStarcross YC 22122‑139
2nd2719Craig WilliamsonStaunton Harold SC 11443‑713
3rd2439Tim HireLymTownSC/ RoyalLymYC 45‑1811819
4th73Noah ReesLymington Town SC 54‑1154624
5th1312Andrew FrostSutton Bingham SC ‑1511566432
6th3597Peter BartonLymington Town SC 361635‑2033
7th1891Samuel BrackleyFelpham SCY79‑12119137
8th1109James HallHayling Island SC 61078‑16940
9th3000Steve NorburyWarsash SC 1433720‑2247
10th3669Chris RustPortsmouth SC 11126‑17111050
11th3342Jack MillerFelpham SC 12‑16210141452
12th1843Chris JenkinsBowmoor SC 17721‑238356
13th2738Spike DanielsHayling Island SCM9891317‑1856
14th2890Andrew RawsonWeston SC 814‑1912101256
15th3023Richard WatshamStarcross YC/ RNSA 13151497‑2558
16th2672Will GiffordWhitefriars SC 1024(OCS)1613568
17th3303SammyIsaacs‑JohnsonMaidenhead SC (RET)1382422269
18th2603Ellie CraigDraycote Water SCF18171014‑191170
19th3688Paul GardnerStokes Bay SC 19‑211515181582
20th2384Simon GeymanDatchetWSC/ LymTownSC ‑21201318211789
21st2839Richard BentleyFelpham SCM20‑222019151690
22nd2168Tomaso MacchiWeston SC 16191720(UFD)2395
23rd3043Philip BaileyHunts SC 22182221‑2319102
24th3201Nigel DaviesDraycote Water SCM2325‑26221224106
25th1024Jason HardmanHayling Island SC 24292427‑3221125
26th2572Andy HillWarsash SCM2627232824‑29128
27thIG)Caitlin AtkinStarcross YCF‑282825262728134
28th3667Edward ParsonsEmsworth SC 25‑3329252531135
29th2929Elliot TomsFowey Gallants SCY‑312328293127138
30th3390Mark AldousFelpham SCM2731273026‑33141
31st1603Rob AhlheidFrensham Pond SC 3030‑32312826145
32nd3328Klaus HarrisSwanage SC 322631‑333032151
33rd1031Stuart PhilbeyDatchet Water SC 29‑3430322934154
34th2147James LeesonQueen Mary SC 33323334(RET)30162
RS Aero 5
1st1566Abby HireLymington Town SCYF11221‑47
2nd2077Tom AhlheidFrensham Pond SCY‑3231219
3rd2214Yana SkvortsovaExeter University SCF241‑53212
4th2505Tom WharmbyLymTownSC/ RoyalLymYCY4343‑5519
5th1705Kate WharmbyLymTownSC/ RoyalLymYCF‑55544321
6th3021Harry LeesonQueen Mary SCY66666(OCS)30

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