Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster Wetsuit Range

RS400 Inland Championship 2024 at Grafham Water Sailing Club

by Paul Hilliar 7 Oct 03:07 PDT 5-6 October 2024
RS400 Inland Championship at Grafham day 2 © Hilary Talbot

Grafham laid on a fantastic forecast of 12 knots and glorious sunshine for day 1 of the RS400 Inland Championships, sponsored by Rooster Sailing. The RS400s shared the lake with the RS200s and RS500s, who also contested their inland championships.

Race one saw defending champions Nick Craig/Toby Lewis take an early lead in the rapidly shifting breeze. They extended downwind in the gusts to win from Tom Halhead/Paul Hilliar, with Sam Knight/Chris Bownes winning a tight scrap for third.

Sizeable gusts up to 18 knots were coming down the racecourse and Craig/Lewis again took an early lead but with Ollie Groves/Esther Parkhurst nipping at their heels. A big shift on the second upwind launched Halhead/Hilliar into the lead. The top two battled for a lap before Craig/Lewis showed their experience to win the race but Groves/Parkhurst launched into a massive gust on the final downwind to take the runners-up spot.

The wind stayed shifty but with increasingly punchy gusts for the final race. The same top three pulled away from the fleet and had some super tight racing with lots of lead changes. At the finish, only two seconds separated the top three, with Craig/Lewis somehow coming out ahead of Halhead/Hilliar and Groves/Parkhurst. Knight/Bownes came fast on a late charge but just ran out of racecourse and finished only a few seconds further back.

Sunday morning racing got under way in 10-12 knots. Significant shifts regularly rolled through and kept everyone on their feet but without the whopping gusts of the previous day. Groves/Parkhurst were super-fast out of the blocks for the first race, battling for the lead with Knight/Bownes and Chris/Nikki Webber. However, the wind gods had other ideas for the chasers, and Craig/Lewis pulled through to take the runners-up spot ahead of Halhead/Hilliar.

Knight/Bownes scorched into the first mark from the left in the next race and quickly built a sizeable lead but unfortunately, they forgot to mention to Craig/Lewis that it was their turn to win a race. Sure enough, the Jaws music started playing, and Craig/Lewis couldn't be denied the race win and the event win with a race to spare.

The wind softened a little to 8-10 knots for the final race and Craig/Lewis squeaked around the first mark in front of Halhead/Hilliar and the Webbers. Craig/Lewis gybed early with Groves/Parkhurst to launch off into the lead. It turned out that both corners of the first run paid heavily and as the leading two came into the downwind gate, Stuart Halman/Anna Walsh were hot on the heels of the leaders. As the large shifts continued to roll through, the leading pair were duelling so hard that they were joined by Knight/Bownes.

Overall, the results said that Craig/Lewis won at a canter, but the detail showed that the racing was tight all through the weekend. Runners-up Groves/Parkhurst really took it to the event winners on day 2, but Craig/Lewis showed their class to consistently pull through to the front of the fleet.

Halhead/Hilliar were rewarded with third overall for a consistent series, finishing ahead of Knight/Bownes.

Many thanks to the club for putting on an excellent event. The race team did an outstanding job of cranking out the races at an amazing pace.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1st1500Nick CraigToby LewisBurghfield/Frensham SC111‑2115
2nd1526Ollie GrovesEsther ParkhurstBeaver SC‑52313211
3rd1535Tom HalheadPaul HilliarLlandegfedd SC2323‑4414
4th1504Sam KnightChris BownesLyme Regis SC3‑6442316
5th1479Chris WebberNicki WebberPaignton SC/Pevensey Bay SC4‑9578529
6th1463Stewart RobertsonSarah RobertsonRoyal Forth YC65765‑929
7th1367Joshua MetcalfPatrick MetcalfY Felinheli7(RTD)6561034
8th1454Jacob AinsworthKayleigh RobertsTynemouth SC81010‑127843
9th1398Philip MurrayNeil SchofieldTynemouth SC98‑15891145
10th1488Ian WaltersHarry LucasGrafham Water SC12781013‑1750
11th1189Steve RestallChris StubbsDowns/Rutland11119‑14101253
12th1455Garry KnottJohn TailbyNotts County SC101211911‑1653
13th1981Howard FarbrotherLouise HoskenLymington Town SC134‑1615121357
14th1524Stuart HalmanAnna WalshLeigh & Lowton SC‑2113141114759
15th1513Neil ParkhurstIan ParkhurstBeaver SC‑16161213161572
16th1376Tim Le CouilliardJames Le CouilliardKing George SC14(DNC)DNC1715677
17th1450Nick EavesGreg PaceBartley SC1714‑1816171882
18th1548Mick WhitmoreSarah WhitmoreEastbourne Sovereign SC151513(DNC)DNCDNC93
19th1359Stuart PhilbeyJack SlaterKing George SC‑20172019201995
20th438Alastair RimmerJack TelfordBassenthwaite SC22(RTD)DNC18181497
21st630Peter CraggsPhil NelsonYork SC192017‑21212198
22nd687Will RussellNatalie SmithGrafham Water SC181821‑22222099
23rd517Max BurrowsAmy BurrowsRutland SC‑23191920192299
24th1382Andrew HuntMatt HuntEastbourne Sovereign SC(DNC)DNCDNCDNCDNCDNC125

Related Articles

Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series Week 2
We didn't half need our sunglasses! Day Two of the Frostie Series for the RS400s and the weather forecast didn't disappoint. We hadn't seen sunshine in nearly three weeks and it came out and we didn't half need our sunglasses. Posted on 12 Nov
Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series Week 1
The sixteen boat fleet was greeted with a glass like sea Now in its 18th year, RS400 winter series continues to grow from strength to strength. The 2024 event welcomes the return of class stalwart Dave Cheyne, sailing with Susan McKnight. Posted on 5 Nov
Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series Preview
18th year of the event starts this Sunday at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club It doesn't seem that long ago since the last Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North. This ever-popular winter sailing event returns next Sunday, running for eight weeks through to 22nd December including the infamous Christmas Race. Posted on 29 Oct
RS400 Northern Tour 2024
Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman win for the second year running For the second year running congratulations go to Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman for winning the 2024 RS400 Trident UK Northern Tour, though it was a close-run thing, and all top 6 positions were settled at the final event of the season. Posted on 26 Oct
RS400 Scottish Championship at Dalgety Bay
Held as part of Dalgety Bay's annual regatta Eight RS400s made it to Dalgety Bay Sailing Club on 28th September for the culmination of the year's Stewart Brewing RS400 Scottish Tour, and the Scottish Championships as part of Dalgety Bay's annual regatta. Posted on 15 Oct
RS400 Trident UK Northern Tour at Bass
During the Great Northern Asymmetric Challenge 20 RS400s gathered for the last leg of the 2024 Trident UK Northern Tour at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club over the weekend of 21/22 May. Posted on 24 Sep
13th Great North Asymmetric Challenge
Sixty-nine boats from as far afield as Scotland, Wales and the South Coast Sixty-nine boats from as far afield as Scotland, Wales and the South Coast landed on Bassenthwaite's sunny shores for the 13th Great North Asymmetric Challenge, sponsored once again by Trident UK. Posted on 23 Sep
Irish RS Southerns at Killaloe
200 and 400 fleets let down by Saturday's weather Over 7th & 8th September Killaloe Sailing Club hosted the RS400 & RS200 Southerns. 21 boats entered the competition with boats travelling from Galway, Cullaun, Antrim, Cultra, Whitehead, Strangford Lough and a great big contingent from Blessington. Posted on 11 Sep
RS400 Northern Tour at Notts County
Fifteen boats are frustrated by a lack of reliable wind A gentle force 2 north/north westerly greeted seven travelling and eight home boats to Notts County Sailing Club for the 2024 iteration of the annual open meeting as part of the RS400 Northern Tour. Posted on 10 Sep
RS400 Nationals at Torquay overall
Edd Whitehead and Ben Whaley were crowned champions After a magnificent week at Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Edd Whitehead and Ben Whaley were crowned Noble Marine RS400 National Champions 2024. Posted on 25 Aug
Rooster SB1 Inshore RangeRooster Women's Wetsuit RangeRooster Wetsuit Range